Pokemon: Guardians of Light
by SilyaBeeodess
Summary: (Based on Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: Explorers of Sky) Lira, a female Riolu, was once long ago never a Riolu at all, but instead a young human girl. When the world as she knows it collapses, she finds a kindling friendship in another; Ri. United, can they piece together the mysteries of her past and protect everyone from an incoming evil from another time?
1. Drifting

_((__**Author's Note:**__ Just a bit of notice, because my parents even go the names wrong, the main characters names are pronounced like this: Ri, like Rye, the crop, and Lira (Lie- Rah). If you're wondering why Ri's name is pronounced differently than in Riolu, this is because I had originally thought it the other way… I still sometimes pronounce it like that. Anyway, 'Ri' still sounds better to me than 'Ree', so I'm keeping it. :P))_

_I…I remember…_

_Brief moments of light, the wind ripping at me in all directions, the sound of thunder clapping, and… And a voice? Suddenly a hand wraps around my wrist. "Are you okay?... No! Don't let go! Just a little longer… Come on! Hang on!"_

"_I-I can't hold on!" My hand slips free and all I know is falling. My screams echo around me as I plummet into darkness._

_The last thing I hear is a voice yelling my name…_

…

Slowly, I feel myself regain consciousness as chilly water tickles my feet. My mouth tastes of salt and dirt. Twitching my fingers, I feel the damp graininess that only sand can accomplish_. A beach?_ I wonder, thinking my first thought is who knows how much time has passed_, but…how…? Where am I…?_

I give a half-hearted attempt to push myself up, but it's no use; I'm too tired and so thirsty. I lick parched lips before trying to move again, to no avail. And so I just plop back on the sand, content if I were to drift off to sea or die right here in the warmth of the sun.

But that doesn't happen. After sometime, something thin pokes me in the arm, and I manage to croak out a tired groan. "Hey…hey, are you alright?" I feel my body being flipped over and cradled in someone's lap. It's not the same voice as before, but I open my mouth to reply none-the-less; however, nothing more than a dry wisp of air escapes. There's the faint sound of a cap being twisted, something's gently put in my mouth, and as soon as one drop touches my tongue, I feel my body reacting immediately, desperate in its need. _Water! Good, clean, water!_ As I gulp it down, lifting one, shaky hand to tentatively take hold of the container myself, this stranger now made savior sighs in relief, "You're awake!"

_Hmm?_ For the first time, I open my eyes and look up, only… I'm not looking into the face of a young man like I thought I'd be, but of a Riolu. His eyes shine with great concern. Ok… so where was his trainer?

And then Riolu spoke up, "You weren't moving! For a minute there, I was worried that you might be dead!"

It takes a moment for the situation to settle in. I stare at him, and he stares right back… And then I scream as best as my hoarse voice will allow, in complete shock, and dive out of his arms to scramble back on the sand, "You… you talked!"

"Yeah…" the Riolu replies, giving me a look that questions my sanity. Well, considering the fact I'm hearing Pokémon actually talk, he has a good reason to. "Your point?"

"I…I must be dreaming," I say, as my frantic mind tries to rationalize everything, "You can't talk! Pokémon can't talk!"

"Hmm… Maybe you hit your head on a rock or something. Are you feeling ok?" he nears me, lifting a hand to check my head, but I still scoot back, "Oh come on! I'm not going to hurt you!" Ignoring him, I move over closer to the shoreline and, without warning, dunk my head into the incoming waves. "Are you insane?" he cries in alarm, grabbing me and pulling me back.

I stare, horrified, at the water. By all reasoning, that should've worked; cold water always works to wake people up. Then my eyes roam to my reflection in the crystal sea… and I cry out yet again.

I'm a Riolu too.

All that separates me from this odd Pokémon is that my feminine features stand out; my waist curves in, my breasts are obvious, and- which should be strange for the species- a mane of blue hair drapes down to my rib cage, nearly hiding my now floppy ears. I let out a soft whimper and pull my knees up to my chest_, this…this can't be happening…_ "I'm supposed to be _human!_" I shout.

There's a moment of silence, and then snickering, and then full out laughter as Riolu collapses beside me, hugging himself. I glare at him before smacking him in annoyance, "I mean it! And I can prove it! My name is Lira and-" I pause, searching through my memory, but nothing turns up. All I know is my name and what I'm supposed to be. "I don't remember…" My shoulders slump in defeat.

_Where am I? Who am I? Why am I here?_

"…You're kidding right?" Riolu asks. I shake my head, my eyes pleading for him to believe me. "And you don't remember?"

"No…"

"Then how to you know you're a human?... Wait a minute, what's that on your wrist?" Looking down, I notice for the first time that I do have something odd on my wrist, but I can't tell what it is either.

"I don't really know… A watch maybe?"

Riolu takes a closer look, than backs away, "Hey! That's a Styler!"

"Styler?"

"Humans use it to temporarily capture Pokémon- but only these humans called Rangers have them and they usually do it to try to help." He looks up at me, his eyes widening. "You…you really were a human. But… how did you end up a Pokémon?"

"You tell me," I shrug, "I'm just as confused as you."

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he stands, offering a hand- paw…whatever- out to me, "Look, let's start over. It's nice to meet you, Lira. People typically just call me Ri for short."

I smile. At least in this strange, odd place, it seems I've made a friend, "Hello, Ri."

He returns the kindness, helping me up, when all of a sudden he's shoved to the ground from behind and I'm taken with him. The necklace made from a stone and string he had around his neck snaps off in the process. Looking back, I see two new Pokémon- a Koffing and a Zubat- and frown, "Hey, what was that for, you jerks!" I yell at them, helping Ri back onto his feet.

"Well, _excuse_ us!" the Zubat says in a superior tone, "It's not our fault your little friend can't keep himself standing."

"I didn't fall; you _pushed_ me!" Ri shouts back.

"So, what of it, kid?"

"Hey, Zubat, look at this," the Koffing looms over Ri's fallen necklace. Picking it up, he asks Ri, "This yours?"

"Hey! Give that back!"

"Go ahead," Zubat tells him, moving forward until he's only a few inches from his face, "Try and take it!" But Ri doesn't move- he only glares hatefully at the pair. "Ha! You've always been such a coward! Come on, Koffing, let's get out of here!"

As they turn their backs to head into a nearby cave, I step forward, picking up a nearby stone and tossing it with all my might at them, hitting one of them in the back of the head, "He told you to give it back, you jerks! So hand it over!"

Not a second later, I'm tossed back by a large burst of wind and slammed into a few boulders as Zubat uses Air Slash. I hear their laughter even as they head out of sight. I'm fine, but I feel myself seething with anger.

"…I've had that forever; it means everything to me," Ri says sadly, sitting down upon the sand.

I walk over to him, "Then come on."

"What?"

"I said come on! We're getting it back from those two idiots!" I start walking into the cave to follow their trail.

"…You'd really help me? Against those guys?" I turn to see Ri still stand there and nod, determined. Grinning shyly, he says, "Ok, then let's go. It's time we taught them a lesson they won't forget!"


	2. A Team like no Other

"Come on! This way!" exclaims Ri as he dashes through the vastness that is the cave with ease. I trail behind him, trying to keep up. I'm not used to this body yet, so my movements are more awkward and off balance than his; and I'm certainly not used to running on the balls of my feet.

"How do you know your way around here so easily?" I ask. We've past several tunnels, but Ri seems very confident with his sense of direction.

"I used to explore these caves all the time," he replies, "Stay quiet though; some Pokemon that hang around here aren't as friendly as others."

"How do you know they even came this way?" I ask in a quieter tone.

"Don't you sense their aura?" I shake my head no. Aura was the thing of psychics and mystics, and if it weren't for some Pokemon having been able to use those types of abilities, I doubt I'd even belief in such a thing. "That's bad; although we can't use our aura anything like a Lucario can, most of us can still feel the ripples."

"I can't! What part of 'not a Pokemon' don't you get?"

"Well, you are one now! If you're going to fit in around here, you'll need to act like one, especially whenever you get caught in a fight."

"How often does that happen again?"

He sighs, "More and more each day," but leaves it at that.

Upon hearing voices up ahead, Ri puts his hand out, a sign for me to stop, and pulls me behind a rock wall where we duck and hide. Zubat and Koffing are just up ahead, talking, but in voices too soft for either of us to hear much of what their saying. "Who are these guys anyway?" I whisper to Ri.

"Team Salacious," he says with a hint of distain in his voice, "they're one of the Pokemon Explorer teams from the Guild, only they abuse what power they do have as part of the Guild; they're nothing but bullies."

"So why haven't they been kicked out of the Guild then if they're giving everyone a poor opinion of them?"

"Well, the Guildmaster, Wigglytuff, is a little…" he tries to find the right word, "naïve. He often gives people the benefit of a doubt, even when they don't deserve it. And Team Salacious acts very discrete to keep up a good image in front of the Guildmaster."

I nod once in understanding, and then lean forward a little to see if I can get a better look. The pair stands by the water in a large grotto. From here, I can see that the water flows in from under a rock overhang from the sea. Based on the damp, slippery ground we're standing on, this place probably fills up with water at high tide.

Scooting a little closer, I trip on my own two feet and fall, rolling down the steep slope from our hiding place to a surprised Team Salacious. When I finally stop, I find myself lying in a dizzy heap, facing the earth. So far, being a Pokemon isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The two start laughing as Ri calls out my name and rushes to my side to see if I'm ok. With as much dignity as I can muster, a hot blush burning my cheeks, I get up on my own and dust myself off. "Well, well," Koffing says, "If it isn't our two friends; the coward and the weakling."

Ri glares daggers at them as I shout hatefully_, "WEAKLING?"_

"Give me… Give me back what you stole from me! It's mean a lot to me; it's a treasure!"

"Treasure you say?" exclaims Zubat with greed gleaming in his eyes, "Than I guess it's more valuable than we thought. Isn't that right, Koffing?"

"It could be worth more than we hoped for, I'd say. Who knows; maybe it'll fetch a good price in town."

"If you want it back so badly, kid, then come and get it!"

Ri stands there, scared and unsure. For how long has he had to put up with these guys? Not just him, but the town too. Someone needs to take them down, and if he won't…

I hop in front of Ri, standing between him and Team Salacious, "Back. _OFF!_" I growl, than I lunge forward. The pair easily dodges my attack, so I wind up sliding on the slick rocks and into the shallow water. "You're so pathetic!" they laugh as they turn their attention to Ri, preparing to flank him from both sides. I hear him get struck; see him get knocked to the ground as he uses Foresight to protect himself.

I find myself, sitting up in the water, clenching my fists tightly. "How dare you…" I say softly, but just loud enough for them to hear. There's the feeling in my heart, like the beating of a drum, as a fire burns within me. "HOW _DARE_ YOU!" I scream, before swiftly jumping out of the water to attack them in rage. With a sudden burst of speed and strength I've never known before, I use Quick Attack, striking the Zubat in the chin and kicking Koffing in the chest right after.

As I back up, ready to defend myself against Zubat, Ri joins the fight, tackling Koffing from behind and shoving something in his mouth. Koffing's eyes widen, and then gaze lazily around, then squeeze shut as he collapses on the ground. Zubat hisses and swoops down at me from above, I have just enough time to throw myself flat on the ground before his strike can hit. From what I know, flying type moves are super-effective against fighting type Pokemon. I witnessed proof of that earlier from his Air Slash, so I'm quick to avoid the attack.

As he makes another go, ready to tackle me, I wait until the last moment, before flipping over and kicking with both feet out at him like a kangaroo. Ri comes to my aid and uses Drain Punch, however, it barely does any good and he only restores a little of the energy he lost earlier.

When Zubat manages to rake his claws across my arm, I lose it! My rage increases tenfold, and I let loose an assault of kicks and punches without relenting, Quick Attack after Quick Attack, until, finally, Zubat drops to the ground. I approach him, breathing heavily, and he flinches. Holding my hand out, I say gruffly, "Give it back… _Now!_" in a voice I hardly recognize as my own. Zubat quickly tosses the stone necklace over to Ri and continues to stare at me, wondering what I'll do next. Calming down just enough, I say, "Go away, and leave my friend alone. _Got it?"_

He nods hastily and, picking up his unconscious companion, he flies out of the cave.

"Whoa," Ri exclaims, coming over to stand next to me, "Where did you learn Rage?"

"There's actually a move called Rage?'

"Nevermind…" he looks at the necklace in his hands and smiles warmly before putting it on, "Thanks again for the help. I don't think I could've gotten this back alone… Do you really think I'm a friend?"

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't we be?" I ask, "You saved me, even though you didn't have to, and we've stood up for each other."

"We do make a good team," he says.

"What is it that they stole anyway?" I admit, I'm curious, "You went to a whole lot of trouble to get it."

"It's a Relic Fragment… At least, that's what I call it," he shows me the strange design dug into the stone, "But this Relic Fragment is a precious treasure. I've always been interested in legends and lore; I just get excited hearing tales from the past. Can't you imagine- hidden troves full of treasures and secrets…" He gazes out to the water, "…uncharted territories veiled in darkness and new lands just waiting to be discovered… such places would be filled with treasures and history… You probably think it's weird, I know, but it's what I've always dreamed of. And I know, somehow, that this Relic Fragment is going to lead me on some amazing adventures.

"That's why I want to join an exploration team. I want to try to solve the mysteries behind it. However… I tried to join as an apprentice, but I chickened out." Kicking sand, he adds, "Maybe I am the coward that Team Salacious believes me to be."

I place a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, "A coward wouldn't have been able to stand up to those jerks like you did. Don't underrate yourself."

He shrugs my hand off and changes the subject, "What about you? What are you going to do now… now that you're a Pokemon?"

I look down in silence. I hadn't thought about that… What am I going to do? I've got no money, no supplies, I don't know anyone else and I don't know this strange new world. What exactly _can_ I do?

This time, Ri comes over to comfort me, "Can I ask you a favor then? ...Would you be willing to form an exploration team with me?" Before I can smile and open my mouth, he adds, "And I know you've got a lot to figure out-"

"Ri, I-"

"But I know we'd both be better off if we joined forces-"

"Ri, I will. Yes; I'd like to be a team-"

"And… and I don't think I could see myself fighting without you with me, not after all this and-" he pauses, "Wait; did you say yes?" I nod and laugh, making him grin brightly. "_Yes!_ Thank you!"

Before I can ask any questions about the exploration teams, he takes me by the arm and pulls me away, "Come on! First we have to get to Wigglytuff's Guild and sign on as apprentices!" Then he pipes up as we run, "You don't think that Zubat and Koffing would tell the Guildmaster we fought them, would you?"

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that; After all, they don't want to lose their good image in front of the Guildmaster."


	3. The Guild

As Ri leads me up an incredibly large flight of stairs, up to the Guild compound, I can't help but feel a little nervous. After all, I don't know _anyone_ and I'm no Pokemon- not really. How am I going to be able to fit in, or do I even want to? I mean, I know it's important that I try to blend in, but I really want to get my memories back and- if possible- become human again as soon as I can. I don't know my home, my identity… Do I even _have_ a family or friends? All that's left is a blank slate.

Ri pauses once we reach the top of the stairs, then turns to me, holding my wrist- the one with the Styler attached to it. Looking down with slight guilt, he says, "I think you'll need to take this off."

"What? Are you crazy?" I hold the Styler protectively to my chest, "This could be the one thing that'll lead me back to where I belong, or find someone who knows who I am! It could be a clue!"

"I know, Lira," he wraps an arm around me, "but if the other Pokemon see you with that, there'll be questions- ones that neither one of us can really answer right now. And they'll wonder if you're trustworthy. With so many criminals out there now, trust is hard to come by; I don't want there to be a reason for them to turn you away or worse."

I stare down at the Styler sadly, because I know he's right. I saw his reaction when he saw the Styler and, although Pokemon Rangers can be trusted, no one likes the thought of being controlled. Even just having it would be a bad sign.

"Lira…"

I close my eyes, then, with calm control I don't actually feel, I walk over to the edge of the cliff.

Removing the Styler from my arm, I drop it in the sea- never to be seen again.

I hold my breath and just stand there like that for a moment, hugging myself tightly. Ri comes over to me and has to lead me away, "Will find out who you are, someday… I promise." I nod solemnly, and together, we approach the compound.

The compound shocks me; it's shaped like a giant Wigglytuff. Well, I guess there was no way to confuse this place to anywhere else. Stopping us from entering is a giant steel gate with thick bars. Oddly enough, there's some kind of large grate in front of the building, however, I just assume it's only plumbing or the sewers.

As Ri steps over the grate, a voice shouts, "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected! Whose footprint? Whose footprint? It's…Riolu! The footprint is Riolu's! The footprint is Riolu's!"

Both of us look frantically around for the voice, "Ri, what's happening?"

"I… I don't know!" he replies, clearly as freaked out as I am.

After a moment, a new voice says, "You may enter! Someone's with you! So get the stranger to stand up there!"

"Um… I think they're talking about you, Lira."

I look over the grate and peer down, but it's too dark in there to see what Pokemon is down there. And I'm not even sure if I feel safe…

"Hey you! Stranger! Get over the grate!" the voice commands. So, looking over at Ri, I do.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected! Whose footprint? Whose footprint? It's…um…it's…" the first voice hesitates, "…Riolu?"

"What sentry? What's wrong? Sentry Diglett?"

"Well," the Diglett replies, "It's a Riolu print alright, but not like you would see around here… It's different from Ri's."

"This is crummy! Checking the footprints of visiting Pokemon… That's your job, isn't it, Diglett?"

"Well," he starts off nervously, "Yes, but… I don't know what I don't know."

I look to Ri. _Help me…_

Bravely, Ri shouts through the grate, "Don't worry, she's alright. She's just a friend of mine from… from out of town."

They seem to consider this, "Very well, you may enter!"

Suddenly the gate shakes and lifts up, revealing a ladder leading underground. I step forward, turning back only to find that Ri isn't following me. "I'm a little nervous…" he admits, "But I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding though…" Taking a moment, he finally looks up to me with a grin, "Ok, let's go in."

I following him down, at first it only gets darker and darker until we can barely see where we're stepping, and then a faint shimmer of light shines up the shaft. It grows as well as the sounds of chattering Pokemon.

"Wow!" he says, taking a look around with an astounded expression on his face, which I soon copy. The place is built better than I thought it would be. Windows have been carved from the side of the ledge so light cold shine through. Some grass and flowers even grow, forming a type of carpet on the floor. Pokemon flutter, walk, or crawl here and there, through hallways and doors, talking back and forth to one another. Two big billboards hang on each side of the passageway we just arrived from and a second ladder leads further down. "So this is Wigglytuff's Guild. So many Pokemon! I wonder if they're all on exploration teams."

"Who knows… but just how big is this place?"

"Excuse me," a new voice says. Ri and I turn around in unison to see a Chatot hop over from the second ladder, "You are the two that just came in, right?" We both share a glance, and then nod. "I'm Chatot! I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts! I'm Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right hand Pokemon. Now, shoo! Leave the premises! We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys. Off you go, if you please!"

As I cover my mouth and choke back a laugh, Ri tries explaining why we're here, "N-No! You see, we want to form an exploration team… sir. That's why we came; we want to form an exploration team."

Chatot looks shocked and hollers, "What? An exploration team? It's rare to see a kid like this want to apprentice at the Guild, especially given how hard our training is. Surely the steady stream of Pokemon that run away from our rigorous training proves how true that is."

Before I can remind the bird-brain that we're not babies or children, Ri covers my loud mouth with one hand and asks, "Excuse me? Is the training that severe?"

Chatot snaps out of his musing and flutters over to us in a flurry, "What? Oh- no, no, no, no! It's not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be!" he laughs nervously and I give Ri a look that asks _you're not seriously going to buy that, are you?_ It would seem that new recruits were sorely lacking. It mattered little to me though; there was nowhere else to go and, what can I say, the challenge intrigued me. "I wish you had told me up front that you wished to be an exploration team! Hee-hee! Ok! Let's get you signed in then! Over here! Right this way! Quickly please!" he practically sings.

"Well," Ri mutters so that only I can hear, "His attitude sure changed, didn't it?"

Leading us down the second ladder to another level, Chatot- not surprisingly- continues talking, "This is the Guild's second underground floor, where the apprentices mainly work. Team registration is this way," leading us to a large door, he adds, "This is Guildmaster Wigglytuff's chambers. On no account, I repeat, on _no_ account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster." He knocks on the door and, announcing our arrival, leads us inside.

"Guildmaster! I present to you two Pokemon who wish to join the Guild as apprentices." There's no reply from the Pokemon standing in front of us, facing the other way. "Guildmaster… um… Guildmaster?"

Suddenly, Wigglytuff whirls around, startling all of us, "Hiya! I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the Guildmaster! You want to form an exploration team?" We nod. "Then let's go for it! But first, what's your team's name?"

I stare wide-eyed at Wigglytuff, a little stunned. I know Ri said that the Guildmaster was naïve… but I can't say I was expecting this. Ri looks over to me a little bashfully, "I… I didn't think of that. What do you think it should be?"

I ponder for a moment. I'm not one to just spit something out at random and I want Ri to like the name too; I want our name to mean something to ourselves and others. So I think of what we've been through so far and what we could be. Ri's words come back to me, _Can you imagine- hidden troves full of treasures and secrets… It's what I've always dreamed of!_ And then I think of what I want as a team; I want to help people. I want to stop Pokemon like Team Salacious from hurting others.

"Crusade," I say with a nod as the name pops out, "We're Team Crusade." Looking to Ri, I see him smile and test the name out for himself and know I've chosen right.

"All settled then!" states Wigglytuff in an almost sing-sing voice, "I'll register your name as Crusade. Registering, registering!" Then suddenly… "YOOM- TAH!" There's a flash of light and loud boom that frightens us both and we grip each other tightly. On the other side of me, I hear Chatot mutter, 'you get used to that.'

"All registered!" the Guildmaster says, her voice returning to normal, "Congratulations! You're an official exploration team!" Digging through the chests in her chambers, she returns to us with a small, yellow package in her hands, "I present you with this commemoration."

Picking up the package, I peer inside as Ri questions, "A Pokemon Exploration Team Kit?"

"Yup! It's what every exploration team needs. Quick, open it up!" I do so, holding the kit out for Ri to see inside too. Inside we find a map, a treasure bag with a red strap attached to it, and two badges. Ri picks his up immediately and examines it fondly. "That's your explorer badge; your official team identification! Now, have a peek inside the bag!" When we do, we find a pair of bandanas. When I raise my eyebrows, Wigglytuff says, "Those two items are special! They'll help you on your journey!"

If it can hold back my hair, I guess that's special enough for me, but I probably should ask Ri what she means by that. Ri gratefully thanks her, obviously beyond thrilled, promising that we'll do our best. "Yup! But remember that you're apprentices right now , so do your best… to train!"

Chatot leads us out the way we came and down another set of hallways, carrying our kit with us. When we finally stop at another door, Chatot pushes it open and steps aside, giving us the lead. It's a very simple room, with stone walls and no furniture save for two piles of hay that look like nests, but we have a window. The scent of the ocean floats around inside.

"Sweet! We get beds!" exclaims Ri as he heads over to the farthest one from the door. Setting the kit near one side of the circular wall, close to the window, I step into mine. It's very comfortable actually.

"You will live here while you work for us," explains Chatot, "Things will start getting busy for you tomorrow, so rise early and start living up to our code! Don't sleep late; get some sleep tonight! That is all." He happily hops on his way, shutting the door behind him.

When night finally arrives, I just can't sleep. I stare over at Ri, who mumbles and mutters things uncomprehendible as he snoozes away. There's just too much on my mind for a good night's rest though.

Moaning, Ri, cracks open an eye and looks over at me, "Are you still awake, Lira?" he whispers. I nod, tired. "My heart's been racing all day today over every little thing… But I'm glad we came here."

"Me too," I say, just as quiet, "Although, I think I'm going to try to get a blanket when I can."

He smirks, "We're going to experience all sorts of things starting tomorrow, but… I'm not scared. In fact, I'm actually excited about it all- the adventures we'll face." I smile back, my eyes slowly drooping. The last thing I hear him say is, "Goodnight, Lira…"

…

_Thunder clashes, lighting strikes the air. _

_There's laughter, horrible, wicked laughter. I'm running as fast as I can go. Dead branches snag my tattered clothes and I trip over nearly every tiny pebble. My bare feet ache and I'm so very tired. But I don't stop. I can still hear them coming! They're getting closer! Hurry!_

_I see a large crack in a rock ledge up ahead. If I could just reach it, just squeeze through it… There!_

_Crawling as far as I can go in my tiny space, I watch in terror as clawed hands reach out for me, trying to pull me out. Who are they? Why do they want me? Are they going to kill me? Eat me? Hot tears drip down hollow cheeks. I close my eyes tightly. I don't want to see what happens._

_There's a brief moment when there's nothing. Not a sound. Then a hand reaches inside my hiding place, gripping my shoulder. When I push it away, it grabs my hair and pulls. _

_I scream._

…

"No!"

"Lira!" My eyes snap open. Ri stands above me, looking concerned, shaking my shoulders. Speaking softer, he states, "It's alright. You're safe. It was just a dream."

He helps me sit up right, holding my hand and plopping down beside me, "…A dream?" It seemed too real…

"It's alright," he repeats, "…What was it about, by the way?"

Before I can answer, there's a hard knock on our door. "Hey!" A familiar voice shouts, "Why are you still asleep? WAKE UP!"

"We're coming," Ri calls back, pulling me up and allowing me to stretch, he reaches inside the treasure bag and wraps the bandana around his neck, handing me the other, which I use to tie my hair back with. While I stuff the map and badges into the bag, hanging it across one shoulder, he opens the door.

A new Pokemon greets us, "I'm Loudred! If you're late for the morning briefing, you'll be sorry! So MOVE IT! Guildmaster Wigglytuff has got a big temper, and if you make him lose it…" He shakes his head, "Believe me; it's not a pretty scene! I've got goose bumps just thinking about it!"

No explanation needed; we raced out the door and through the halls, following the others who overslept, to start another day.


	4. A Drowzee Day

We line up with the other Pokemon just in time. Chatot flies over- checking to make sure each apprentice is present. I was right; they are in need of new recruits. There are only ten of us in all.

"All right," he chirps, "Everyone seems to be present. Very well, let us conduct our morning address. Guildmaster!" he shouts at the door, "The Guild is in full attendance!"

Wigglytuff steps out of his chambers, but there's only one thing… He's snoring.

I hear the other apprentices whisper to each other:

"The Guildmaster never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah, you got that right."

"It looks like he's wide awake."

"His eyes are wide open, but he's fast asleep!"

Chatot, hurrying to get Wigglytuff back in his chambers, exclaims, "Thank you, Guildmaster, for those words of wisdom… Everyone, take those words to your heart! Now, let's not forget the morning cheers; All together now!"

"One: Don't shirk work!" Everyone shouts in unison. Well, save me. Having no idea what the morning cheers are, I just mumble and mouth things out. "Two: Run away and pay! Three: Smiles go for miles!"

…How in the world does Ri know them already? We just got here.

Days pass. Than a week. Than another. We find out that Ri has a Power Bandana, increasing his attack, and I have a Zinc Bandana, increasing my special defense. When we're not on simple, rookie jobs or training, Ri helps teach me some of his moves. It's a good thing we're both Riolu, or it would've been tougher to learn. I even begin to feel ripples from aura, just like he said.

Still, I'm impatient. We still don't know anything and dreams haunt me every night. Ri's too nice of a guy to say it, but I'm pretty sure I sometimes scream in my sleep. Whenever I wake up, I'm panting and covered in cold sweat. A couple nights got so bad, that the next I wouldn't dare sleep at all.

The dreams are all of darkness and pain and fear. Most of the time, I'm alone. Most of the time, something's chasing me or hurting me. And when I'm not alone, I never see faces- only shadows.

There was one, rare dream though, when I only dreamed of peace. Resting by a small fire, nearly asleep, held in the loving arms of someone…someone…

"Lira," Ri addresses one morning when I'm particularly slow to respond, "…They're getting worse, aren't they?"

I nod as I brush out my hair with the wooden comb that we had bought from the Kecleon brothers at their store, _Kecleon Shop and Wares_, in Treasure Town. After our first mission as a team, Ri had given me a tour of the town and had shown me all of the shops before we took the money we had earned from that day to get a few snacks from a restaurant called _Spinda's Café_ in celebration. We would have to make another stop there today actually, in order to sell some of the things we found from our last few explorations and purchase a few necessary items. I know we need Sleep Seeds- the very thing that Ri used to knock out Koffing- in case we run into more criminals than we can handle at once. It wouldn't hurt to get a couple more apples or Oran Berries either.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. I shake my head. I don't really like revisiting those dreams and they're hard to explain as it is. None-the-less, he comes over and wraps his arms around me. How quickly our friendship has grown. Perhaps it was some type of need that made us a team at the first, but now I'm really starting to feel like we've come to care about each other, even though we haven't known each other very long.

After we get our things and attend the morning address, we head out. It's a nice day; the sky is clear and a nice breeze cools the air, so it's not too hot.

"Hello, hello, hello!" greets the eldest brother as we approach the store, "Nice to see you two again! How went that last job?" The Kecleon brothers could remember every face and name of every Pokemon in town, not that it was very big of course, but it was still impressive.

"It went good," Ri replies, carrying our sack of coins in one hand as I search through our bag for the items we were going to sell, "We found a bunch of Pecha Berries and brought them with us." As he says this, I pull them out from a tin and lay most of them on the counter, along with a couple of ribbons we found lying around. "We'd like to sell these and get four Oran Berries, a few apples, and some sleep seeds."

"Sorry mate, we're out seeds. We just got a shipment of spikes if you're interested though. Great for dealing some damage."

"We'll just take the fruit."

"Suit yourself… Here you go, and here's the rest of the coins." Ri puts them in the bag. We'll need to make a stop to Duskull Bank to deposit them. If we don't and we wind up losing a fight in one of the mystery dungeons, Pokemon are very likely to loot it off of us. That's why we rarely ever bring anything outside of what we need on missions.

"Misters Kecleon!" shouts a little boy's voice as two blue Pokemon run over to the shop.

"Ah! Little Marill and Azurill!" exclaims the youngest brother, "Welcome!"

"Can we buy an apple please?" Marill asks.

"Why, of course!" as he hands him the treat, he graciously thanks them and heads off. Looking at us, he explains how their mother has fallen ill, so they do the shopping for her.

"Misters Kecleon!" The two rush back, stating they had an extra apple in their bag that they didn't pay for, but the Kecleon brothers smile and tell them it's a gift. As they thank them again and leave for the second time, Azurill trips, dropping the treat. I walk over, helping him up and giving him the fallen fruit. "Thanks!"

Mine and Azurill's hands touch for just a second, and I black out.

"_H-h-h-HELP!"_ a voice screams in the void.

Shaking my head back to reality, I place a hand on my head as Azurill scampers off with his brother. It's pounding like crazy. Ri comes up from behind and places a hand to steady me, "Are you alright, Lira? You look a bit pale."

"Y…Yeah," I reply, even though I'm feeling a little sick, "I'm fine."

Frowning, he replies, "Maybe we should get you back to the Guild. I know you haven't been sleeping well lately; you need to rest."

"Maybe you're right…" But I don't think that's it. That scream… could that have been Azurill's?

As we walk past the town's main square, we see those two kids talking to a Drowzee. They seem pretty ecstatic. Ri and I share a look before we walk over and he asks them, "What's going on?" They explain to us how they had lost an item one day, that Drowzee had apparently seen it somewhere, and that he was offering to help them find it.

"Well, I'd have to have a cold heart to ignore kids in need! I can't turn a blind eye," states Drowzee, "Let's head on our way to begin the search." As the trio passes by, he bumps into me. "Sorry," me mutters, walking on.

…I black out again, grabbing my head with both my hands and issuing a low groan of pain. "Lira?" Ri grabs hold of me before I can fall.

_I see Drowzee, standing over a frightened and bruised Azurill, "I suggest you quit being difficult before you get into any more trouble!"_

"_H-h-h-HELP!" _

"Lira!" Ri spins me around to face him, "Come on! Snap out of it!"

"R…Ri?" After a minute, I make him let go of me so I can stand on my own, "I'm… I'm fine, just a little dizzy is all."

"Maybe we need to get you to a doctor. You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"No!" When Ri gives me a curious look, I sigh and tell him, "I… I just have a bad feeling, ok? Maybe we should go with Marill and Azurill, just in case they get into trouble."

"Lira, don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine. They have that Drowzee with them."

_That's what I'm afraid of._

When we get back to the Guild, the first thing we notice is that everyone is surrounded by one of the Bulletin Boards. We both walk over and another apprentice, Bidoof, waves to us, "Hey guys! They just updated the boards. Come see!" And when we do, I only turn paler. Ri looks at me, then the board, before his eyes widen in horror.

One of the outlaws listed is Drowzee.


	5. To Catch an Outlaw

Side by side, we raced down the steps from the Guild compound to the dirt streets below. We had to hurry; it might already be too late. "Look," yells Ri, a little out of breath, "There's Marill!"

We run up to the crying Pokemon, who instantly sits up and turns to us with pleading eyes. "Team Crusade!" he hollers, "Please! It's Azurill! Drowzee took him away and they left me behind. I ran back to town as quick as I could! Please, help!"

"Easy, Marill," I kneel down and place a gentle hand on his head, "We'll get him back. Just tell us where they went."

"This way!" And with that, we speed through the thick terrain of the nearby forest. After what feels like an hour of moving, trees turn to rocks, which turn to boulders, until finally we see a mountain up ahead. I stare straight up at it; this is the place from my vision, I just know it.

"Marill, are you sure they came this way?" Ri asks.

Before he can say anything, I stride past them, "They did. I can feel it!"

"I-I can't go up there…" says Marill in a soft voice, "I'm scared, I'm sorry…"

Looking back to a once more tearful Marill, I hug him tightly, "It's ok to be scared sometimes," I tell him, "and it's alright that you don't want to go with us. We'll find him; I promise. Go back to town and tell the Guild members where we are just in case anything does go wrong. And be brave for Azurill; he'll want you to be strong right now, ok? Can you do that?"

Marill nods, "I think so… I'll try, for Azurill." Then he scurries back through the forest.

Ri and I begin climbing immediately up the steep side of the mountain. It's dangerous, but we've lost enough time as it is and who knows how long the trail will take us. However, when we're about two-hundred feet up, I grip ahold of a loose stone. It snaps from its position against the mountain and I lose my grip and fall, crying out.

"Gotcha!" shouts Ri, letting go the side of the mountain with one hand and catching my hand in the other. I feel my arm being pulled from its socket. Scaling up a little farther while still carrying me, Ri then pulls me up onto a ledge where we sit down for a moment to catch our breath.

"Thanks," I manage to pant out.

"No problem," he replies, "Just… Try not to do that again, will you?"

…

"Help!" Azurill cries just as soon as we reach the top.

"Stop right there!" yells Ri, giving me a hand as I climb up and stand beside him. Drowzee and Azurill turn to look at us. Although, I don't think we're much to look at at the moment; the climb up left us pretty beat.

Trying not to show how tired I am, I speak up, "Time to turn yourself in, Drowzee. You're wanted for theft and kidnapping. Let Azurill go and come quietly or else."

"Ha! This should be a laugh. Think you can take me on?" He says, then charges as us, "Think again!"

Lunging forward, he strikes at me first. I dodge it, but am nearly knocked of the side of the cliff in the process. When he attacks Ri, he manages hit him hard it the chest. Ri quickly Counters, but even with his Power Bandana on, the move doesn't do as much damage as it would normally. He chuckles, bounding for us both as he uses Pound.

Leaping high into the air, both of us dodge it and Drowzee lands right in the exact spot where we had been standing. Before we drop, Ri and I kick our legs out at him, sending him skidding across the dirt as we help each other steady upon landing.

"Ya, ya! Go get him Team Crusade!" cheers on Azurill.

"Quiet, runt!" warns Drowzee as Ri goes in using Quick Attack. However, once Ri is close enough, Drowzee makes his move. I don't even have time to shout a warning before he uses Hypnosis. Ri isn't even able to attack and falls to the ground, fast asleep.

"Haw!" barks out Drowzee, "Looks like your friend's out of the fight." Facing me, he adds, "Looks like it's just you and me, squirt." Once more, he charges, using Pound. It hits, but when he sees I'm still standing, he's shocked, "What the-?"

Confused myself for a moment, I put a hand up to my bandana and think, _Man, I love this thing!_

Scowling, he glares at me and states, "No matter. I know other ways to knock you out." Preparing to use Hypnosis again, he adds, "Say goodnight!"

Quickly and without thinking, I dodge and roll, gathering a handful of dirt and throwing it at Drowzee. Thankfully, most of it blows in his eyes, distracting him long enough for me to scramble over to where Ri is lying. "Come on, Ri!" I yell, shaking and slapping him a few times, but it's useless. I began searching through our bag; typically we kept at least one berry of all types for these situations. I have just yanked out the one Chesto Berry we have when Drowzee pounces on top of me and knocks it free from my hands.

He pins me to the ground, preventing me from moving. When I try to shake him off, he chortles, "Nice try, kid, but there's no exploration team in the world that can take me out. Believe me, most have tried." Managing to get one leg free, I knee him in the gut. A burst of air escapes his lips, but he still grasps firm. Recomposing himself, he grabs my throat tightly and raises a fist, snarling, "Say goodbye, runt!"

"Leave her _alone!_" someone shouts before I see a blur of blue slam into Drowzee, completely knocking him off of me. Getting up, I see Ri has awakened. He and Drowzee wrestle on the ground for a moment before stopping just at the cliff's edge. Ri holds him by the throat, his head dangling dangerously from the side.

"How did he-"

"I gave him the berry!" squeals Azurill happily.

"Don't move!" Ri growls. Drowzee, obviously not wanting to drop to his death, agrees in haste, swallowing hard.

…

For the bright, sunny day it had been, it's like a hurricane has started up tonight.

That night, after Drowzee had been taken by the police and Azurill was returned home, we sat quietly in our beds, our door locked, munching on some treats we managed to sneak from the mess hall. Apparently, sneaking things when no one was looking was a gift of mine. Ri had joked around that maybe I was a thief when I was human.

A thief with a Pokemon Ranger Styler? Hard to see, but not entirely impossible I suppose.

"Lira?" Ri whispers over to me as I pop a chestnut in my mouth, "How exactly did you know about Drowzee anyway? How did you know that Azurill was in danger?"

I guess I should have seen this conversation coming. There was no way I should have known, but I did. I don't want there to be any secrets between Ri and I, so I decide to tell him the truth. Whether he believes it or not is another matter entirely.

When I'm finished explaining my visions, he takes the time to think to himself. Finally, he says, "Well, let's just be glad you saw what you did. We might not have made it in time otherwise."

"You actually believe me?"

He shrugs, "Stranger things have happened."

"Like a human turning into a Pokemon?" I smirk.

He laughs, "Yeah, something along those lines," he looks out the window as a flash of light shines through, "Man, the lightning's intense!" Then a look of bewilderment shows on his face, "You know, the night before I found you lying on the beach was just like this one."

"Yeah… I think I remember a storm… but not much else. Not until you found me, anyway."

Sighing, he replies, "I guess it's not that easy. Just try to remember a little at a time." Then he yawns, "We better get some sleep."

Some indefinite amount of time later, Ri's shaking me and I stir awake to find that I'm shivering. He looks at me with tired eyes. I frown, "Sorry… was I-"

"No, but you were crying," I begin to speak, but he stops me, "Look, Lira, I've been thinking… about your visions, about your dreams… Maybe they have something to do with you personally." When I raise an eyebrow, he shrugs, "I don't know, it's just a feeling."

He looks around our darkened room for a moment, then starts tearing the hay away from his bed. "I have an idea; just do what I'm doing." I watch him for a minute before relenting. After a while, I begin to see what he's trying to do.

Making a large bed for two.

He curls up on top of it, the gestures for me to lie down next to him. Seeing my blush, he returns it. "I thought maybe you'd feel better if there was someone with you when the dreams came," he explains bashfully. Grinning, I chuckle, and then get down, resting my head against his chest and making him blush even more. And when I sleep that night, I do dream.

But the dream is so sweet.


	6. Waterfall Cave

"_Come on! Hurry up!" whoops a cheerful little girl, skipping over a rocky terrain filled with dead logs. How anyone could be so happy in such a depressing scene is beyond me._

_Wait… is that… me?_

"_You're slow!" laughs the little girl to an unknown figure some ways behind her. Suddenly the figure zooms forward, catching her around the waist, lifting her over one shoulder, and taking off; increasing her giggling in the process. _

_The little girl is hungry, and filthy, and sleepy, and beaten in some places, but she's happy. In what would seem to be a desolate wasteland, she's smiling as if she never had a care in the world. Although the air can't brush her face or toy with her hair, she imagines she's flying. What did wind feel like?_

_When the figure puts her back down on her feet, she laughs uncontrollably and wraps her thin arms around it, snuggling close. A hand runs over her tangled mat of hair comfortingly…_

…

My eyes flutter open as the morning rays of light, shining through the window, hit me, and find I've curled up against Ri in my sleep like a child. My cheeks turn a deeper shade of blue and I carefully pull myself away from him, thankful that I haven't woken him up. If he knew about this, I don't think I'd ever hear the end of it.

Once we're both set to begin the day, we head out with the others. Everyone seems anxious today, but it isn't until after the morning address that we find out what all the fuss is about.

"Everyone, listen up; I have an important announcement to make," says Chatot before any of us can depart, "Far to the northeast, then farther into its outmost reaches, there lies a place called Treeshroud Forest. In Treeshroud Forest," he takes a breath, "…time has stopped." Gasps and murmurs of shock and confusion sleep through the crowd of apprentices and Ri gives me a worried glance. "Yes, it's true; time has come to a standstill within that region. The winds have stopped, the clouds are motionless, the dewdrops on leaves hang suspended in midair… and most of the Pokemon within Treeshroud Forest have become frozen in time."

"But… how could this happen?" questions a terrified and confused Sunflora, "It's unthinkable!"

"I'm afraid only one thing could cause this; Treeshroud Forest's Time Gear was stolen."

As people begin to panic, I look over to Ri, whose been stunned into silence and ask, "What's a Time Gear?"

"Time Gears govern the flow of time in their region. Without them, time ceases to exist and grinds to a halt."

"But why would anyone steal them? It doesn't make any sense."

"Quiet!" shouts Chatot, gathering everyone's attention once more, "Officer Magnezone has already started up an investigation. It's hard to believe that one could be stolen, we know, but one has, and that means the others are likely at risk as well. We have been asked to notify him and his force of any suspicous characters. Until the criminal is caught, everyone will stay calm and keep going about as normal. The last thing we need is for all of Treasure Town to panic. That is all; dismissed!"

We begin filing out with the rest, but Chatot stops us, "Except for you two! Over here!" As we approach him, he continues, "Wigglytuff and I both are impressed with your capture of Drowzee. Therefore, it has been decided that you two will be assigned a mission worthy of a proper exploration team."

"Really?" Ri asks, not believing what he's hearing.

"Give me your map." I pull it out of our bag and hand it to him. He begins pointing to the various positions detailed onto it, "This is Treasure Town; here. And… over here is where we would like you to investigate."

"At the waterfall?" I ask.

"Yes; reports say that there may be a hidden secret waiting to be discovered there. Your mission is to find out exactly what that is. Understood?" We both nod, "Very well. I'll leave you two to your task!" With an abrupt turn, he flies away.

Looking beside me, I see that Ri is shivering a little, "Are you alright?"

He quickly nods, "Yeah, just a worked up is all. This is the first mission we've actually had; I can't help but be excited. You?"

Returning the map to its rightful place, I answer, "Actually, I'm more concerned about those Time Gears."

"Who knows; maybe that's what's behind the waterfall. Either way, we better get moving."

"Right!"

….

"How the heck are we supposed to get in there?" Ri asks as we both stare up at the massive amounts of water barreling down into the river below. The water's moving too fast. Believe me; both of us tried to force our way through only to get slammed back. It's powerful enough that if a non-water Pokemon got caught under it, it would more than likely kill them. When Ri looks like he's getting an idea, he looks over to me, "Wait! Lira… do you think you could do your vision thing again?"

"What? Ri! I'm not even sure if it's something I can control! And there's no way I'm going to try to knock my brains out or fall to my death by pouncing at that again."

"You have to try! And it's all we can think of right now," he sits down beside me, "Maybe you could use your aura to help you too. When I was little, my parents used to tell me that aura connected everything together. They helped me learn to meditate so that I could connect to it better. Maybe you could try that? It can't hurt."

I sigh, cradling one cheek in my hand. "Fine," I groan, "I'll give it a shot, but don't get your hopes up incase this amounts to nothing." Closing my eyes, I sit Indian-style on the ground, controlling each breath and trying to make my mind a blank slate.

"That's it… Keep calm… Concentrate…"

I focus on the sound of the roaring water rushing by me, feel the cool, wet spray as it splashes by us. And I find myself drifting… Drifting…

_Everything goes dark as night. I can't see Ri- I can't even see myself anymore. Must be another place in time._

_Someone approaches the waterfall, but I can't tell who. They only appear as a shadow, a dark blimp, in the night. Looking around to check to make sure no one's there, they hop toward the center of the waterfall…_

…_And fade right through to the other side without any harm._

"There!" I say, getting up on my feet, "There's a weak point in the middle." I begin to run straight for it at full speed.

"Lira!"

"I'll see you on the other side!" I lunge into the waterfall, rolling forward to land right behind it. I'm drenched, but otherwise ok. Shaking away the water, I take my first look around. I'm in some type of cave hidden within the falls. Compared with the outside, it's freezing in here. Ahead lays a vast labyrinth of tunnels and passageways. If only I could see a little further. I have to squint just to make the tunnels out.

The noise of the thunderous falls nearly block out Ri's screaming as he bullets through it. When he sees that we're both alive, he turns on me, "Never, _ever_, make me do something like that again. I thought you had plummeted into the river!"

As we begin our walk farther into the cave, I reply with a smirk, "You know that we're probably going to have to take the same way back out, right?"

"Shut up!" Both of us use our limited abilities with aura to help guide us through the tunnels. After some time of walking, Ri states, "I don't like the feeling of this place; It's just too much like a tomb."

"Tell me about it," I add, "Where are all the Pokemon? You'd think they're be some around here somewhere."

"I guess that's why the waterfall cave has been kept a secret. There's no one to talk about it," he blinks his eyes open, "I think I see a light up ahead. Maybe we're nearing the end of the tunnel."

We pick up our pace, however, Ri is wrong. It's not an exit, but a room full of glittering gems of all sizes in varying shades of color. He and I gaze around at the scene surrounding us; it's so pretty!

"Whoa! Lira, check this one out! It's huge!" exclaims Ri as he races over to a particularly large gem stuck into the rock wall. Actually, large is an understatement; it's bigger than either of us and wider than the two of us combined. He reaches out to place a hand on top of it as I pick up a much smaller version of it off the ground.

"Imagine the looks on everyone's faces if we could lug that thing back to the Gui-"

My sentence is cut short as a sharp pain moves up my arm and to my skull, seemingly coming from the gem. Gritting my teeth, I jump back, dropping it as if it were on fire. Things start to blur in and out of focus. _Not again…_

_I see the same Pokemon from earlier, nearing the site we're standing at now. Spying the large gem and eyeing it with curiosity, he walks over and begins to tug. Something clicks. Something rumbles and stirs the earth, like a dragon awaking from its den._

_Then, a large flood of water fills the room, sweeping the unknown Pokemon away._

I open my eyes, snapping into reality. Swiftly, I begin to race over to Ri, "No! Don't touch it! It's-" It's too late. The ground starts to shake. Looking over to our right, we see a side of the wall begin to drop. "Booby-trapped…" I finish as the first streams of water pour in.

"RUN!"

We take off toward the tunnels- for all the good it'll do us- but are still swept away by the giant flood. Water fills my mouth and enters my lungs as I'm shoved forward and caught in its mass. Swimming up to the top, I start choking, my lungs crying for air. Before I can get my fell, I'm dragged under yet again, fighting the strong current as it takes us who knows where.

_No!_ My mind screams, _No! It can't end like this! I won't let it!_ This cave might be a tomb, but that doesn't make it mine. Gasping for air, I return to the top. At the water's height, I can nearly touch the ceiling. "Ri?" I shout, struggling to stay up as I'm tossed around by waves. "Ri!"

Up ahead, I can just see barely see him, grabbing hold to the rocks in the wall, but they're too slippery. In the seconds it takes for me to reach him, he's let go. As we try to keep each other afloat and grasp onto whatever we can, we continue to fly down the tunnels. It's just at the moment when I start sinking again- fearing the worst- that the water rumbles once more, sending bubbles up to the surface.

And then we're launched out of the cave like rockets.

Our screams meet a quick end as we flop into yet another body of water. Dragging each other to the shallows, we stare at the geyser that threw us out like we were nothing. In our amazement, we hardly notice our bag fly out from it and- ironically enough- land on top of Ri's head with a thud.

It isn't until the geyser goes dormant that Ri, seeking breaths, speaks, "We… We're alive." He wraps his arms around me, letting out a nervous/relieved laugh, "Thank Dialga, we're alive!"

"Aww," says a new, wispy voice, "Isn't that cute!" Looking around, we find ourselves in a hot spring, in the center of a group of elder Pokemon. "Young love! Aren't they adorable?" Words of agreement and memories of an older time when they 'shared those same feelings' pop up here and there. Ri and I find ourselves ducking back down into the water.

I'm starting to _wish_ that I had drowned in the cave.

"You know," Ri states, "Maybe going back the way we came wouldn't have been so bad after all."

…

We come back, dripping wet, to report our exploration to Chatot and the Guildmaster. Thankfully, when we arrive, we aren't just shoved right into his chambers and are at first given a pair of towels to dry ourselves off. Once we've explained everything, Wigglytuff seems to mull over the information a bit.

"Very intriguing!" says Chatot, "Although you didn't manage to recover the gem, the find was worth its weight in information. Thank you, Team Crusade, for your excellent repor-"

"Oh, memories!" shouts the Guildmaster all of a sudden, "I remember exploring those tunnels when I was an apprentice like yourselves. Yes, yes! When I think hard, I believe I did go there once!"

_You… you've got to be kidding me… _

"So…" Ri begins, "You mean we didn't have to go there after all?"

"Not at all!"

And yet we couldn't have been told this from the start!


	7. Chief Skuntank

We skip out on dinner that night, not feeling quite well enough to eat, and are sent off to bed early with a couple mugs of hot tea and some lean broth to at least quell our stomachs and begin healing whatever cold we may catch.

Sitting up in bed, resting against one another for support with the mugs in our hands, Ri tells me, "Although today might've been a letdown, I'm glad, really glad, we're a team. You know that right?"

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't think I would've jumped in if you hadn't been there," he replies flatly, taking a sip from the steaming drink.

"Oh come on; you're braver than you think, Ri. You're the only one who doesn't see that," I roll my eyes.

"I'm serious Lira. I don't know why, but I think you bring out the best in me. I'm not sure what… but there's something about you. Something that makes you different from anyone I've met before. I just don't know what that is yet…" As I fall silent, he quickly changes topics, "By the way, about your visions, I think I've found a pattern."

My eyes widen. "What?" I ask excitedly.

"Anytime you get them, you've just touched something right before. Azurill's apple, when Drowzee bumped into you, the splashes of water, the gem… you came into contact with all of them in some way." He's right; there is a pattern… "And there's something else; it's clear that you can see things from both the past and future. Maybe it could be some type of special ability or something. Whatever it is, it's useful though. You've got a gift."

"A gift," I nearly chortle, "Or maybe a curse. I'd rather have it show me who I am than show me all these other things; it's near torture. And if so, than maybe that could mean my dreams are nothing more than crazy things that appear in a delusional girl's head."

"Lira, just think, what if-"

Someone knocks on the door and Chatot pops his head in before we can answer. "The Guildmaster would like to have a word with you both right away."

…

When we reenter the Guildmaster's chambers, Chatot presents us to him.

Again, his back is turned. And again, it seems he's sleeping.

Then he turns around so suddenly, we nearly drop our mugs, "Hiya!" he greets, "You're team went through a lot today, but don't worry, I'm keeping watch of your activities! However, I suppose I should tell you why I called you here!"

"Yes, Guildmaster?" We step forward.

"We're planning on mounting an expedition soon!"

I feel myself release a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I was worried for a moment they'd find out I was once a human. There's a time and place for everything, but I don't think they should know about it just yet. Not until I'm certain of everything.

"A handful of apprentices," adds Chatot, "will travel far from our own area for this expedition. We're still trying to properly prepare for the trip. We select who to pick for the journey carefully."

"Usually we wouldn't pick rookies, but you two have proved yourselves enough we think you just might be ready. So, we've made an exception for you to join the list of candidates for the expedition!"

"Now, you haven't been chosen yet! There's still time before we set out and I would seek on aiming higher if I were you," continues Chatot, "You can't expect to fail and come along."

"So try hard!" finishes Wigglytuff.

A kind way of dismissing us. We nod, thanking them for the opportunity, and then head back to our room.

…

The next day, when Chatot makes the announcement public, we race off to the Boards to see what jobs are available. As Ri looks over the long list, I gaze around, taking in all the excited members. It's going to be tough- everyone's going to want to go- but I'm sure we can make it.

My eyes glide over to the other side of the room, stopping and backtracking when I see a few familiar faces. "Ri," I nudge him in the arm, "Over there. It's Team Salacious."

"Great," he mutters, "Just the guys I was dreading to run into."

It's about this time when the spot us as well. "You two?" exclaims Koffing, hovering over alongside Zubat, "What are you doing here?"

"For your information," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest, "We're an exploration team too. And not a bad pair I'd say." They look at each other for a moment, and then surround Ri. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Back off!" I prepare to tackle.

Visibly cringing, Zubat looks at me, "Easy, easy! We just want a word with your buddy here, alright?"

"Anything you have to say to him, you can tell me as well!"

"Lira's right," Ri nods, "If you have something to say, then say it to the two of us."

Exchanging a glance first, they look at us nervously. Maybe they think they can take at least one of us down, but together, they may know we can beat them. Could they actually be afraid… It's both a demoralizing and yet also prideful thought. "Look," Koffing begins, "Don't take this the wrong way… but we don't think you're cut out for an exploration team."

"And why's that?"

"You're timid for starters, and you scare easily, and you-" We both glare at him, cutting him off short.

"Look," Ri steps toward them, "I may be timid, but I'll have you know that right now we're currently working to go to the Guild's expedition."

"Really?" the other says smirking, "Sorry, but there's no watch a couple of rookies like you will make it."

"You know, Zubat," I reply as I near him, "That's big talk coming from someone who got their butt kicked by a couple of rookies. Now let's see… What were their names?"

He scowls, "You're just lucky we didn't tell the Guildmaster, or else you wouldn't even be in the Guild at all!"

"Do you really believe that? Because we can go find out now and see. In fact, we can tell the whole Guild the entire story. What do you say?" It's a bluff- a gamble that people will believe us or the ones they've known longer, but I know these two won't take it. They've got an image to keep; complaining about how two newbies managed to outmatch them won't help it.

They stare at me for a long while as I keep hold of a poker-face. Finally, Koffing replies, "You just got lucky is all! You wouldn't have beat us if the Chief was there."

"The Chief?"

"Our team leader. To put it bluntly, he's incredibly tough."

"Hah! If the Chief were here, he'd snap you like a twig!" adds Zubat, "Speak of the devil, I think I smell him now."

"Smell?" And then a rotting scent reaches me.

"Out of my way, runt!" A voice orders behind me. Turning around, I come face to face with a Skuntank- one of the biggest I've ever seen. "Didn't you hear me? Move!"

I take a step to the side, allowing him to pass by. Narrowing my eyes, I take a sarcastic bow at him, "My apologies, Duke of the Dump."

"Lira!" Ri hisses at me quietly in warning.

"Why you little-!" I continue to stare him down defiantly as Skuntank prepares to hit me, but something stops him. Every eye in the room is watching the commotion we've caused. Grumbling, he backs off; I suppose it wouldn't look good to see someone outright attack another from the Guild. He gestures for Koffing and Zubat to follow him out of the compound, but as he passes me, he whispers, "This isn't over, you wimp! The next time I see you, you won't get off so lucky!"

I smirk and, just before he's out of range, reply, "I'm looking forward to it, Duke." When they leave, the crowd goes back to acting like nothing happened.

Once they're gone, Ri leads me away from everyone else to the now empty mess hall. "Do you want a death wish?" he says, closing the doors behind us. "Yes; we've handled Zubat and Koffing before. Yes; I believe we could do it again. But taking on Skuntank is another thing entirely. He runs things around here and has the power to make our lives very miserable. No one picks a fight with him because no one's crazy enough to!"

"Well, welcome to nuthouse! Population: Me," I shake his shoulders, "Ri! Think about what you're saying! If we don't stand up to this guy, then who will? We can't let them push anyone around any longer, and if the Guildmaster won't see reason, then we have to fight back."

"No, we don't! We…" he stops, struggling with a way to make me see things differently, "We…" He soon gives up. "Lira, I'm only trying to watch your back. They're right when they say I'm scared, but right now I'm scared for you. I'm not sure if I'll have the guts to stand by you if you do wind up fighting him. I'm not going to be there to help and I'm afraid you'll need it… Just try to ignore them, for me, please!"

I look into his worried eyes. How could I possibly hurt him like this? Can he be that concerned? It's my fight, my choice, my risk to take. But…

Reluctantly, I nod, "Ok… but I won't promise you that if he does something stupid I won't give him a good kick to the jaw."

He gives me a half-grin, his worry melting away, "Fair enough, I guess."


	8. A Hopeful Journey

Weeks later, Ri and I found ourselves preparing for the expedition… Actually, _all_ of the apprentices are preparing at the moment, by Wigglytuff's orders... Who knows what goes on inside his head.

Before they announced this though, we thought we'd never get to go, especially considering that Skuntank and his goons tried everything is their power to make certain we wouldn't go. Their methods went beyond simply sabotaging missions; they also gained a higher trust with the Guildmaster. A wedge has been created between Ri, myself, and the other Pokemon of the Guild. We're the only ones who have ever done anything to stand up against Team Salacious and Wigglytuff and Chatot will hear nothing negative about them. Ri has often tried explaining, but no one will listen, so eventually I had to make him see that we were on our own here.

After a point, we even stopped showing up for dinner, even when we were allowed to eat. And yes, that too has become an issue. After- ahem- _someone_ broke into the food storage during the night, swiping nearly everything, Ri and I went sent off to gather more food. However, Team Salacious knocked us out after we had cleared the way and took all the credit.

There were people worse than the common thug, and those people would be like Skuntank. Not because they're tough, not because they're strong, but because they're cunning.

That night and those following, Ri and I have been sneaking out of the Guild while everyone else is asleep, picking anything we can find in the nearby woods. I told Ri that if we ever get caught he can blame me, since it was my idea from the start, but I'm not about to let either of us go hungry.

Others have tried to help us; some of them fellow apprentices, others people we know from town. The people from town might invite us over to eat leftovers from their own meals; the Kecleon brothers have even been nice enough to give us a discount and let us pick from some of the freshest produce. I hope there's a way we can thank them some day. The apprentices will often sneak some of their dinner when they can and try to give it to us. Ri is willing to accept their offerings, but I always turn them down without hesitation. I know they're trying to help and be nice since they won't take a stand themselves, but can anyone blame me for being sore? I just feel that if they won't help us where it really counts, than who needs them?

Ri and I haven't been on the best of terms either. We got into a fight one night over just that matter:

"_Why do you keep turning everyone away? You know they're only trying to be nice," he had said as he sealed the door to our room shut._

"_Why are you being so nice to them? We've been standing up for them this whole time and they can't return the favor? It's not right."_

"_They're just afraid, Lira."_

"_All they would've had to do is tell the Guildmaster from the start that they couldn't be trusted-"_

"_People have tried! It never works!"_

"_Who, Sunflora? Bidoof? Loudred? __**You?**__" I had tossed our bag down hard on the floor, making it skid across the ground, "All you people have done so far is tell me to ignore them."_

_Ri was silent for a moment, rubbing one arm and looking away, "…You can't hold a grudge against people for making mistakes, you know. You can't always fight alone either. There are some battles we have to face with friends beside us. And don't try to do that with me. We're a __**team**__, Lira. We need each other." When he placed a hand on my shoulder, I shrugged him off and turned my back on him._

We haven't spoken unless it was necessary since. I regret my actions toward him from that night; I know he only means well. I was just so mad and… I don't know.

Hopefully this trip will ease the tension between us. Looking on the over side of the bed- rather than rearranging it all over again, we choose to lay as far apart as possible and create a barrier of sorts- I watch as Ri ties the bandana around his neck. He doesn't look at me.

With our room emptied and our pack filled, we start to exit the door for what with be the last time until we return in two weeks. The Guild compound and the property surrounding it will be closed and exploration teams from other areas are going to take on some of the jobs while we're away. Before, he opens it, I figure this may be the last chance I get to talk to him with the certainty of solitude until then.

"Ri…" I say quietly, unable to look him in the eye. My voice is so soft, I'm shocked he even heard me at all, "I…I'm-"

"It's ok, Lira. You don't have to say it."

"Yes I do!" I fling my arms around his neck, catching him off guard, "I'm sorry, Ri, and I don't want there to be anything that'll make you hate me. You're the only friend I know I've got."

Returning the kindness, he calms me down for a moment before speaking, "I don't hate you, Lira. I don't even think I could. And one fight or two between us isn't going to change that." He takes my hand and, smiling, leads me out the door, "Now, let's go. We've gotta hurry up and join the others outside."

…

We arrive at a place near what is supposedly, Fogbound Lake. The thing is, the place is only of legend and rumor as well as the treasure that lies there. We're camping in the highlands, due to the dense fog that surrounds the area below.

As I help Ri set up our tent and equipment, I can't help but have this haunting feeling. Often I find myself gazing out through the tarp to stare at the foggy forest surrounding us. _Have I been here before?_ I wonder to myself. I wouldn't think so; what would've compelled me to come to some place in the middle of nowhere? Yet everything seems so familiar to me in some way.

"Lira! Come on out! Chimecho is telling everyone about the legend of Fogbound Lake!" exclaims Ri as he tears open the flap to our tent, dragging me out by the arm and snapping me out of my musings. I don't intend to tell Ri about anything that I'm feeling; I won't spoil his trip for what could very possibly be a wild goose chase for me.

We have just joined the others around a campfire when Chimecho begins:

"According to legend, Fogbound Lake is the home to an exceedingly rare Pokemon named Uxie, who is said to lock eyes with others and wipe their memories clean." I freeze while she continues, "Uxie, sworn to protect her home and the treasures within, will use her ability on anyone that nears them. So, even if people were to stumble upon the lake, Uxie would get to them and make certain they never revealed its location to anyone, thereby protecting it. People still say that the legend remains."

Could it all be true? If it is, than maybe… Maybe this is where I'll finally have answers. Pulling my legs up to my chest, I smile hopefully. When he comments on my change in attitude, I tell him that I feel more at peace camping. Ri only believes I'm just as excited as he is to be here, and that's true, just for other reasons now.

After a few more days of travelling, everyone splits off into their groups to explore and see what can be done about the fog. Strangely enough to the others, I'm up and ready to go. I pull Ri along with me in the way everyone else has gone as he takes a look at what can be determined on the map.

"Well, where do you want to start searching?" he questions, looking down the naturally made path.

"Let's go into the forest."

"Um, are you sure about that? There's no clear ways to tell where we're going. Why not take the paths?"

"That's what everyone else will be doing," I answer, already moving that way, "And I don't think Uxie would've made such an obvious route to the lake, do you?"

"Uxie? Wait a minute… do you actually believe that legend?" then realization hits him, "You think that Uxie might have erased your memory, don't you?"

"It's a start, isn't it?"

"Lira, we could spend days chasing something that doesn't even exist!"

"Isn't that what this expeditions about though? About finding Fogbound Lake?"

"That's the idea, but I'm also trying to be realistic here- Oomph!" Ri trips over something hidden underneath the fallen leaves. Getting up and digging through them, he find a practically glowing red stone. "What the-? What's this?" He picks it up as I kneel down and take a closer look. "It's warm!" he exclaims, and then he looks at me, his eyes shining with interest, "Should we keep it?"

I nod, "Might be a clue. And know knows what it is. Not any rock I've seen before that's for sure."

Tucking it in our bag, he continues from where we left off, "I'm just trying to say you shouldn't get your hopes too high about finding Fogbound Lake, in case we wind up with nothing."

"A friend of mine once told me that stranger things have happened."

He smirks back, "That he did."

We walk some ways in silence; nervous as to whatever Pokemon might hear us if we even utter a single word. I feel eyes stare creepily at us through the trees and, glancing over to Ri, I now he feels them too. Always, we stay on constant guard; sometimes we are forced to battle. The fog only grows thicker as we go. Hours later, we find ourselves in a beautiful grove deep within the forest. Small waterfalls flow blissfully into pools.

"Ugh, and here I thought we'd seen our last waterfall for a good while."

Ri chuckles at me before turning to face the scenery and startles the next moment, "What's that?" Squinting though the fog, I peer forward. I can barely see what he's talking about. Ri takes off running toward it and I follow or else be left behind to face the forest alone. I nearly run into him when he stops suddenly. I follow his gaze to the statue of a massive Pokemon on a platform, sunken sideways in the ground. Ri circles around it before calling out to me, "There's an inscription over here, in footprint runes!"

He takes a concentrated look at it as I join his side and ask, "You can read that?"

"I dabble," pausing for a moment, he scrolls a finger across the strange lettering and reads, "'Reignite the life that burned within Groudon'… 'Then the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat'… 'The path to treasure shall be revealed.' Incredible…"

"Do you think the treasure could be Fogbound Lake?"

"Maybe, but 'ignite the life within Groudon'… could it mean the statue? Wait a minute… Do you think you could touch it, Lira? To try to see what you can?"

If it wasn't for the chance of getting my memory back, I'd at least put up a half-hearted argument. Instead though, I reach and touch the statue without even considering that. This time, Ri's there to steady me as the dizzy spells come.

"_That's it! It's here!" a voice shouts excitedly, "I see… Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's Heart and the fog will lift!" The voice goes silent before adding sadly to itself, "Well done, partner…"_

When I snap back into reality, I step away from Ri and the statue. That… that voice! I'm sure I haven't heard it before, but at the same time it's so familiar. Who was that?

"What did you see?"

Relaxing, I think for a minute before turning to Ri, "Do you still have that stone you found earlier?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Get it out." He does as I order and hands it to me. Returning to the front of the statue, I look around until I see a hollow place barely bigger than an apple. Placing the stone in it, I back away and recite from the vision softly, "Place the stone in Groudon's Heart and then…"

A red light sparks in the statue's eyes and the ground begins to tremble. As a light flashes, blinding us, we are sent sliding back across the grass. I try to shield my eyes with one arm from it all, keeping my balance.

After a minute, I hear Ri move forward. "Whoa… Lira, you've got to see this…"

Blinking from the sun's harsh rays, I take a look around. A large rock wall blocks the way ahead of us. Wait? We can see through the fog? Sunlight? Looking up, I follow the path along the face of the cliff.

"Um, Ri, I think there's something _you_ need to see…"

We gawk up at what seems to be an island in the sky, high above the trees, balancing on the beam of rock that makes the cliff.


	9. Groudon

Hot fumes billow around the floor and puff up from holes in the walls. Ri and I are sweating from the long trek up to what can only be Fogbound Lake, as well as tired and weary from our battles with Pokemon who no doubt guard this place. Stopping in a large chamber, we agree to rest for a moment before continuing onward. As I set the bag in between us and pull out a pair of apples, Ri gets out our canteen and takes a thirsty drink before passing it to me. I follow suit, leaning against the oddly warm rocks.

"How much further up do you think we have to go?" I ask.

"Who can tell; I haven't even seen anywhere to check."

"_GROOOOOOH_!" a loud roar echoes around us as if in answer. Ri and I sit up instantly and listen for more. The noise repeats itself before finally going silent.

"Did… did you just hear that?" I nod in reply. "That's what I was worried about."

"What was that?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be friendly." Ri shrugs the bag on one shoulder, saying it's his turn to carry it, and helps me up, "Come on; I'd rather not stay in one place."

As we run, the roars seem to get louder and louder, but when they finally stop Ri and I look to each other with a mix of relief and the feeling that something isn't quite right. We keep fighting our way through until finally…

"Up there!" Ri says with a slight pant after we've climbed further up, "Look!"

Doing so, I see that we've nearly made it. There's an opening up ahead and I think I can just barely see some plants as well. It's already been getting brighter and brighter within this one passage that has led to a large, naturally formed room. I grin, "Yes! The lake must be just up ahead!" I begin to run toward the exit until I see that Ri isn't coming. "What are you waiting for? Come on! We're almost there."

"I don't know… I have a bad feeling about this; the aura is telling me something's wrong. The air even feels tense." Ri gets that nervous look in his eyes and scans over the area, searching for a hidden threat.

"Ri, we're nearly to the lake," I'm so anxious to get going that I hardly register his look of panic, "It's just a little further-"

Something large and solid smacks me in the back, sending me flying face-first back toward Ri to collapse on the rocks. Grunting with pain, I push myself back up and look behind me, only to gasp in shock and slight fear. "T-That's…" Ri stutters out, "That's the Pokemon from the statue! That's Groudon!"

"I am the Guardian of Fogbound Lake!" announces the colossal Pokemon, "Those who have come to desecrate this place shall perish! You shall never leave here alive, intruders!" A harsh sunlight shines through, making it unbearably hot, as he uses his drought ability.

Ri and I jump away and are separated as uses Hammer Arm to try to take us both with one blow. However, we both manage to avoid it and it only slows him down. Taking the brief and fleeting opportunity, I jump up and swiftly use Force Palm, but the move fails in paralyzing him and only leaves me open for attack the moment after I make it. Groudon slashes his tail at me and sends me toppling back to the earth. Air wisps free from my lungs on impact.

Ri, picking up where I left off, uses Screech to lower Groudon's defenses, who covers his ears from the sound, and races toward him with a burst of speed. The latter goes in to strike, but Ri quickly feints and lunges over to the left, swiftly kicking him as he passes. Growling, Groudon suddenly lashes out at Ri. He quickly ducks, but right after Groudon's tail comes wishing at him from the other side, knocking him across the room. Before Ri can get back up, he uses Scary Face, causing him to hesitate rather than attack. Ri backs all the way against a wall rather than fight back.

Turning to me as I attempt to use Quick Attack, Groudon dodges it and slams me back down. I don't have time to roll out of the way when he uses Rock Smash, pummeling and burying me under a small pile of rocks. Again, I try to move, but Groudon pounds away, doing plenty of damage. He gives me no time act as he continues to strike, despite how often I look for an opening, and I remain trapped in the same spot.

After a while of this, apparently satisfied that I won't be standing for a little bit, he turns around and walks off back to Ri; any moment now Scary Face could wear off. Desperately, I manage to scramble onto my knees, yet can't force myself even to a crawl.

"Now to finish off your little friend!" Groudon shouts, "By all accounts, I hope you enjoy the show, since his death will be one of the last thing's you'll see."

"R-Ri…" I choke out, "Ri! Get out of the way!" But he continues to cower there until Groudon uses Dragon Claw, striking hard and sending him sprawling a little ways away like a child tossing a doll across a room.

Closing my eyes, I search into a last reserve of strength and use Endure. I struggle to stand, but I begin limping toward Groudon. I grip my bleeding, sore arm as I go. Seeing this from the corner of his eyes, he shoots me a glare of rage. "Come to try to save the day?" he asks tauntingly, "It would've been best that you hadn't come at all, girly. Why don't you just quit before I _truly_ teach you a lesson in pain?

Breathing heavily, I reply with a set determination in my tone, "I did not come out all this way to be frightened away or beaten down." As I lock eyes with him, I feel something spark and stir to life within me. "I'm sick and I'm tired of people telling me to run and hide." My voice grows firm and steady, as does the feeling in my core. It moves around and reaches throughout my body as a whole. "I'm not giving up! I'm _never_ giving up! I've come this far and I intend to reach Uxie and Fogbound Lake, even if it means I die trying!"

My fingers begin to twitch, and before I know it, I'm moving my hands in position to let off a powerful attack from the slow build of energy within. "And I'm not going to let you hurt my friend!"

Something frees itself from my hand as I launch it at Groudon. The next thing I know, he's struck by a solid, shimmering blue orb of light that strikes him down with one blow. After the dust settles, I see that he won't be getting back up. I stumble forward for a moment from the loss I took using that last move and whimper. Then, dragging one foot behind me, I head over to where Ri is now sitting up, looking at me dumbfounded.

I try to help him stand, but in the end it's he who has to let me put an arm around his shoulders. He puts an arm at my waist to help me further and together, slowly but surely, we start walking to the exit. "You did it, Lira!" he exclaims, fatigued, "You connected with your aura. And not only that, but you learned Aura Sphere!"

Somehow, I find myself letting out an exhausted chuckle of amusement, "Looks like I now have something to teach _you._"

Before we can pass Groudon's unconscious form, a light blazes from his still body, blinding us and making up stop and stagger back. And when we reopen them, he's gone! "Groudon disappeared?" questions Ri with the disbelief that we share.

"That was not Groudon," a mature female voice comes from around the room. We look around in search of the source, "He was nothing more than an illusion I conjured."

_Quite an illusion_, I think to my aching body. "Who are you?" I shout as loud as I can, "Show yourself!"

"As I've said, I am the guardian of this place, and I cannot allow you to pass."

"Please," pleads Ri, "We didn't come to do any harm. Yes; we're explorers and we're interested in treasure, but what we really want is information."

"Information?" the voice scoffs with distrust.

"I need to speak with Uxie," I nearly beg, "I need to see if she can help me."

"It's the truth! Please, believe us!"

The voice falls silent. For the longest time, not the slightest noise can be heard, and we think she might've gone away. But just before we can speak up, she says, "Alright… I'm giving you a chance." Another lightshow later and a new Pokemon appears in front of us. "I am Uxie, guardian of Fogbound Lake. I welcome you here if you are honest of what you say." Stepping forward, I try to begin, but she raises a hand to stop me, "We shall not discuss matters here. Come with me to the lake; this way."


	10. Fear of the Unknown

Ri and I help each other hobble up the slop to the outside, allowing our eyes to slowly adjust to our surroundings. When they finally do, I gape at the massive lake in front of us. The water is clear enough that you can see straight to the bottom. Water flows from it and falls right off the edges, creating the falls that we had seen upon arrival. Volbeat and Illumise fly around, only adding to the lake's beauty. A sunset paints the sky as another day comes to an end, casting rays of color upon the scene. We're still for so long that the sun finally disappears and is replaced by a full moon. The stars in the sky reflect in the water, glistening back at each other as if to say hello.

"Cast your gaze to the center of the lake," directs Uxie.

A blue-green light radiates from it, floating and bobbing above the water with a mystical quality. Upon closer inspection, I feel my heart begin to race, my pulse speeding up. Just what is that? And why do I feel this way when I see it?

"A Time Gear…" Ri whispers in awe.

"Yes," Uxie confirms, nodding to him, "And it is my purpose for protecting this place. I guard the Time Gear with my life. Others before you have tried to trespass here. Most run off in fear of my illusions, but some manage to defeat it. Those trespassers never speak of their journey however, for I take their memories..." She looks at us skeptically, "And what of you? Are you like those that fell before you? Am I forced to purge another mind?"

"Uxie," I step forward, "My name is Lira, and I know this may seem hard to believe, but there was once a time when I was human, but I can't remember that time. Please, did a human girl ever come to this place? I have to know."

"A human? Really?" she looks me over once before continuing, "I am sorry… but no. No human has ever visited Fogbound Lake. I should explain further… I only take the memories of Fogbound Lake; not all memories from living beings. The cause lies elsewhere." My heart falls. Just when I thought we were close to having answers, I'm right back at square one. And now there's just another question adding to the ever growing list: Why do I feel like I've been here before?

Seeing my hopeful expression drop, Uxie adds, "I wish I could be more help, but I truly don't know, and it's hard to see how a human could become a Pokemon."

"Ri! Lira!"

"Where are you?"

Streams of voices bounce off the walls and revert back to us. Turning around, we see the Guildmaster rush up from the slop first, followed by Chatot and the other apprentices. All of them seem just at exhausted as we were on our way up and very worried. Spotting us, they race forward, putting Uxie on the defense. "And who might these be?"

Wigglytuff, ignoring the question, hops up and down, gazing out at the lake. "This view is amazing! I'm delighted we came! The treasure must be the view of Fogbound Lake." Turning to Uxie, he shakes her hand, "Nice to meet you, friend!"

"This is our Guildmaster, Wigglytuff," Ri says before gesturing to the others, "And these are the other apprentices." It is then when he notices that a few are missing amongst the party. "Where's Team Salacious?"

"They betrayed and attacked the Guildmaster," Chatot says, "Corphfish found them lying behind some bushes. They will return with us, but they are no longer members of the Guild." Hearing this, Ri and I share a knowing, cheerful look.

Sunflora approaches us both, "Look at you two! Are you alright?"

"We'll be fine, Sunflora. It'll take more than a few scratches and scrapes to take us down," Ri smirks, "Right, Lira?" I grin back and give a single nod.

After looking back at the Time Gear and turning my attention to the ground once the same feeling of unease creeps up, I ask, "Uxie? Are you going to erase our memories of this place as well?"

She thinks about it for a moment and stares out across the lake. Not turning around she replies, "No, I won't. I believe that you have my trust. Choose to betray that trust, however, and I will come looking for you."

"We won't say a word to anyone," Wigglytuff states, "On the behalf of everyone in the Guild, I promise."

And as we depart, I- for a rare change- allow the other apprentices to help me move back down to camp.

When we reach base and patch ourselves up, I take some time to myself to think. I can hear music and laughter from the camp. Sitting underneath a tree, gazing up at the stars, I look back on the day. _Well, at least there's one less place to check_, I think without any real optimism.

"Hey," I turn around to see Ri coming up from behind me, "Why aren't you with the rest of us, celebrating?"

Picking up a pebble from the ground, I give it a good toss. It ricochets from a low tree branch and bounces on the earth a couple times before stopping. "This place was another dead end."

"Then we keep looking," he leans against an oak, "A wise Pokemon once said that it's not in the destination, but the journey. It could be the in search itself that pieces together your memory… You know, if you're not going to come join the party, you could at least make some use of time by teaching me exactly how you used Aura Sphere. In case you didn't know, we're not supposed to be able to do that until we evolve!"

I laugh, "I'm not even sure how I did it. Call it an insane amount of luck. It may take time for me to figure it out myself."

"Luck had nothing to do with it; you're stronger than you think. And your aura, it's… pure."

"Pure?"

"Pure, raw, powerful… however you want to phrase it," he covers quickly.

I lean back and smile, but when my spine touches the bark, I have to grasp the grass beneath me not to shout in fear and shock as a little girl's panicking voice yells. _Where are you?_

…I knew it.

…

When we get back to the Guild, everything goes back to normal. We're given time for our injuries to heal and are rewarded at dinner with an extra treat for finding Fogbound Lake. Yes; we've rejoined everyone else. Ri was right; I guess I can't stay mad at people forever, despite how hard I try.

Besides, it's easy to forgive the people that helped drag your sorry butt down half a mile's worth of dark caverns. And Chimecho makes great poffins.

We wake up one morning and set out to check the boards, when we hear Loudred shout, "WHAT? You can't identify the footprint? What do you MEAN?"

"I'm trying to tell you, I can't identify what I don't know!"

"What's wrong?" Chatot asks as we join the pair.

"We have a visitor we can't identify. Diglett is an outstanding sentry, so this is very rare for him to get stumped. If those two were on sentry duty, it'd be no shocker, but…"

"Hey!" I shout, irritated, as Ri has to hold me back.

"What?" Diglett's voice comes up from below, "You want to meet the Guildmaster? You're… Dusknoir? Oh! Please wait a moment!"

Loudred and Chatot look at each other, amazed, "Dusknoir? The world-famous Dusknoir is HERE?"

I look over to Ri, whose equally as thrilled. Seeing my confused expression, he says, "Dusknoir is a renowned explorer, known for his adventures across the farthest regions. Pokemon everywhere say there isn't anything he doesn't know.

"He just seemed to pop up overnight one day, and they say he always works alone. A lot of Pokemon look up to him."

In less than half an hour, a good-sized crowd has gathered together in front of the ladders as Wigglytuff greets this impressive guest. "Thank you for visiting! What an honor it is to meet you!" Standing back in the crowd, I have to stand on my toes to peer over the others, but when I see him, I immediately get back down. One part of me is curious… and another afraid. I can't put a finger on it, but I don't think I like this guy very much. It could just be all in my head; most Ghost-type Pokemon have a frightening appearance to them, and Dusknoir is very terrifying to look at. Even the marks and symbols on his chest look like a mouth that would gobble up anything or anyone. Still, everyone else seems to bask over him.

"No, no! Think nothing of it!" replies Dusknoir in a soothing baritone, "The honor is all mine, for there is no greater pleasure than visiting Wigglytuff's Guild; it's famous!" We listen in as the Guildmaster tells him of our recent expedition, excluding what we promised to never tell. "I see… Well, that must have been quite a disappointment for you and your Guild. I had been hoping to hear of your latest triumph."

"Yes! The expedition was a waste of time! Didn't learn a thing about anything! I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."

"No, I'm glad I got this chance to visit. I even plan to stay in Treasure Town for a short while. Perhaps I could visit again during my stay? Your Guild constantly receives the latest news. Good information would be a big help on my explorations."

"Of course; You'll always be welcome here! And other exploration teams visit us all the time, so you're sure to hear some new news. I just hope that no one becomes a nuisance; I'm sure many of the apprentices would want to seek out your advice or autograph."

"Ha!" he laughs happily, "If it's autographs they want, I'm sure I can oblige! But… information? I'm afraid that you flatter me. However, I would be delighted to be of service. If there is anything you wish, don't hesitate to ask." Everyone in the room cheers as Chatot tries to dismiss us and return things to order. "I think I'll head out for a quick stroll. Please, feel free to approach me with anything."

Ri grabs me by my wrist and takes off in the direction Dusknoir headed in. "Come on! Now's our chance to meet him!"

"Ri, wait! I don't know about this-!" But already Ri is pulling me away. We find Dusknoir as he walks down the steps away from the Guild.

"Excuse me! Dusknoir, sir!" Ri shouts, grabbing his attention.

"Ah! Two young Riolu! Isn't this a rare sight to see! I haven't actually met a Pokemon of your kind before." This elates Ri. Riolu aren't common Pokemon and very few Pokemon breeds can use aura; it would be odd not to take some pride in that fact. "What are your names?"

"We're Team Crusade! I'm Ri!"

"And you, young one?" Dusknoir asks me when I don't answer. I still don't and instead find myself trying to hide behind Ri. He, knowing this is completely out of character for me to act nervous, gives me a strange look. Dusknoir chuckles in amusement before patting me on the head. It's all I can do not to flinch or shove his hand away. "I see someone's a little shy."

"Sir... I- We were wondering if you could might have time to tell us one of your stories about your adventures," Ri states, getting a little nervous now himself.

"Well, sure. In fact, I have time now if you'd like. I've heard of a café around here. Perhaps you both could take me to it and we could talk there."

Undeniably_; the_ longest hours I've spent in my _life_!


	11. Errands

"Team Crusade," says Chatot the next morning, "I need you to go on an errand today."

"Errand?"

"Yes, I need you to go to the Kecleon brother's shop and see if they plan on keeping any Perfect Apples in stock." That made sense; Perfect Apples were Wigglytuff's favorite food, and he nearly went into a rampage when he thought all of those were gone last time. "Of course, the Guild's storage contains many of them… or at least can, but the Guildmaster has a habit of raiding it when we're not looking and uses up the supply. Having to search for a fresh load of them is always a chore. It would be much simpler to just go and buy them."

"You got it, Chatot," I say, "We'll be back with the word before you know it."

When we arrive in town, however, who else would be there but Dusknoir, having a friendly chat with them. I think I'll let Ri do the talking here; I'd rather not say much near the Gripper Pokemon, no matter how insignificant or irrelevant. I'm tempted to waiting until he's gone- to fake that I forgot something back in our room- but he sees us first and waves us over.

"Hello there, young ones!" What a coincidence to run into you this morning."

"Good morning," Ri greets, "What are you doing in town, Dusknoir, sir? Shopping?"

"No, simply enjoying a chat!"

"I hailed him down," explains one of the brothers before the other adds, "The great Dusknoir is so worldly and wise; I'm thoroughly impressed!"

"May I ask, what can we do for you, Ri? Have you come to shop? We have some fine merchandise just brought in."

"Sorry, no; not today. We came to ask you something." He begins explaining the situation to the pair as I watch Dusknoir cautionately.

"Hmm… Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but no; we have no intentions to stock and Perfect Apples soon."

"Well," Ri says to me, "Looks like we'll have to break the news to Chatot and figure out another way."

"Azurill! Hurry!" shouts a youthful voice. All of us turn our attention to the pair of children running up the street.

"Marill! Azurill!" greets one of the Kecleons, "Hello to you both!"

"Hello, Kecleon brothers!"

"Oh, and Team Crusade too!"

"What's the rush?" asks Ri.

"You know how we've been looking for our lost item; it's a Water Float!"

"A Water Float?" questions Dusknoir, "That is quite a precious item."

"Yes! That's why we've been looking so hard for it. But someone said that they saw one on the beach today! So we're going there now!"

"That's excellent! I'm glad it's finally turned up." Out of the corner of one eye, I see Zubat and Koffing suddenly zip off somewhere… what could those goons be up to now? We watch as the two kids scamper away happily.

"I've never even heard of a Water Float," says the youngest brother, "What's its purpose?"

"It's an item specific for Azurill," explains Dusknoir, "and can only be obtained through trading precious treasures over and over again. It's said to be exceedingly rare."

"To think our line of work is buying and selling, yet we've never heard of it! To sell such an item… that day may never come."

…

At dinner that night, just before everyone starts eating, Chatot alerts everyone that he has an announcement to make. Hungry, but curious, we give our attention to him, "Now, we have just received word of this…" he chokes back saliva, looking utterly stunned despite however long he might have had to digest this news himself, "Another Time Gear was stolen."

"What?"

"Another Time Gear? _Stolen!_"

"Was it… um… Was it the one at Fogbound Lake?"

"No, it was apparently stolen from elsewhere." At least that comes as a relief. That way no one will accuse the others of spilling their guts. "But that's the second stolen. It would be extremely bad if another were taken. Now, rest assured, I have full confidence in you all, but I must make one thing very clear; you must never tell _anyone_ what you witnessed during our expedition. Understood?" Nods and shouts of agreement ripple through the crowd like a tidal wave.

That night, neither of us can rest. Ri even begins pacing. "I can't even imagine one stolen, but two?" He rubs a hand over the back of his head, "What would anyone want with the Time Gears anyway? I just don't understand."

"Maybe for ransom?" I offer, unable to come up with anything else. My thoughts return to the first Time Gear I saw at Fogbound Lake and the effect it had on me, but I assure myself of no connection.

"Maybe, but nevermind," he plops down beside me. The barrier we had once placed is gone, so we've returned to our usual sleeping habits. "You know, the expedition already feels like it was a long time ago to me. But wasn't the view amazing? I wonder what Uxie is doing, or if she's well."

"She'll be fine," I say, "None of us are going to say a word about Fogbound Lake. And even if someone does find it on their own, she can take care of herself."

…

"Team Crusade! You've got some visitors!" alerts Loudred the next day. We both had no idea what to think until after we stepped out of the Guild compound to meet Azurill and Marill standing on the doorstep.

"We wanted to ask you both for help," Marill starts off, "We need your help finding the Water Float. We didn't find it on the beach, but instead a note." He hands it to us. It read as following:

_The Water Float from the beach is now in our possession. Just try and take it from us! We'll be waiting in the deepest part of Amp Plains. Then again, knowing how weak and pathetic you are, I wonder if you'll even reach us. If you can't handle it, then go cry to your big-shot friends in Team Crusade._

_-Team Salacious_

I snarl down at the sheet before taking it from Ri's hands, shredding it up, and tossing it out to sea. "Why those insolent…!" I can't even finish my insult before I let out a canine growl of anger. "When are they ever going to learn?"

"I suspect a trap," Ri says in a calmer tone before turning to the two brothers, "Promise us you won't go out on your own."

"But we really want to get our Water Float back!" He looks at Azurill, saddened, "I can't take him there though. The Amp Plains are full of Electric-type Pokemon and I get knocked out right away whenever I've gone."

"No more tears, kids. We're going to get it back," I reply, looking at Ri with confidence. "And besides; I think those three are due for a little payback anyway."

"Then it looks like we're off to Amp Plains."


	12. Fast as Lightning

"It's official: I _hate_ the Amp Plains!" I practically scream as I try to smooth back my hair, which is standing on its ends due to static, and fit it back into my bandana. You would've thought it sprinkling might've weighed it all down, but no- the storm goes on and my hair stays up.

It feels as if my insides have been fried and I still occasionally jerk from the electric buzzes due to the attack of a certain Elekid. It's a good thing we packed so many Oran Berries or we wouldn't have had been able to fight our way through so many levels.

"You and me both," Ri grumbles beside me, clearly enjoying the site of my struggling.

"Laugh and I will hurt you."

"Oh, no, I would never do that!"

"Then what are you biting your lip for?"

He chokes one back before replying, "You know, I think I'm good now. I promise this time; I won't laugh. I mean it."

I give him a playful shove and my newfound ability shows me a moment in time- just a brief flash or a vision that could barely be a second long- of two Lucarios in a game of wrestle, surrounded by a lush forest. They're happy, the pair, but both are very determined to beat the other. And then it's gone.

As if on cue, Ri returns the push, snickering, "That was just payback. We might want to save strength for the real fights ahead."

A few more zaps, bolts, and jolts later, and we finally find the Water Float. As Ri heads over to retrieve it, I watch his back. It just feels too much like a trap. Where's Team Salacious? Wouldn't they have jumped us by now? "Lira! I've got it! Now let's head back to town before-"

"Why did you come here?!" a voice booms as lightning strikes the air. Ri jumps with a yipe. I'm startled as well by the sudden noise and look around for a hidden enemy. That didn't sound like Skuntank, Zubat, or Koffing, that's for sure. "This is our territory!" As a throaty growl starts up, Ri races over to me and before I now it I'm towed away, my back pressed against a large boulder that we duck behind. "Ha! So you're going to hide like that? That's kind of cute… Alright boys, prepare to take them out!"

"We didn't come here looking for a fight!" I shout from our position, "We came here looking for an item that we've now found, and now we'll be on our way."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" adds Ri.

"My name is Manectric!" answers the voice proudly, "Leader of the Electrike, and you are not welcome here!" Then, as fast as the next bolt of lightning that streaks the sky, we find ourselves surrounded by said Pokemon. Without warning, the first two attack. We barely have enough time to try to dodge and I feel part of the flesh on my right leg get torn off. Hissing in pain, I grit my teeth and angrily face our opponents. Howling, six of the Electrike group together in threes while the other two and Manectric stand on the side and watch. I'm already prepared and as a trio attacks me, I leap away and land behind one of them, using Quick Attack. We're both rammed to the ground and topple over in each other, trying to gain the upper hand. Eventually, the Electrike just uses Shock to make me jolt back before kicking me away. Another is waiting and kicks me in the spine. I land on the ground on my hands and knees in between them.

"Lira, catch!" Ri shouts in the midst of his own battle. He tosses something at me, the action taking long enough for an Electrike to strike him in the chest and send him sprawling back. Recovering from the move, he rolls out of the way in time to avoid being tackled. Lunging out of the way to dodge a collision between two Electrike, I grab what he threw in midair and glance at it for a moment, just to see what it is, and pop the Quick Seed in my mouth without further thought.

Already, I can feel its effects. This time, when they use Shock, I'm able to race out of the way. I meet the next pounce head on with a powerful Force Palm. Setting to Counter, I find another bounding towards me with a strike I wouldn't be able to get away from without getting in range of the third Electrike, who seems prepped for attack. I realize that, since they now can't best my speed, they intend to time their moves just right and outthink me, using pack maneuvers. So I take the hit, rather than risk a more deadly blow, and strike back with twice the force. The Electrike, momentarily stunned by his move being turned against him, gets knocked out instantly.

I only have a second to grin at that success, because the first regains balance and lunges at me, biting the still fresh wound. I let out a loud yelp before trying to kick him off, but he holds on. From the corner of my eye, I see the third racing toward us. Swiftly, I use Reversal to both free myself and take out another of the thugs. When the attack comes, I flatten down on the earth and feel claws barely scrape my back as the last Electrike of the trio soars overtop of me.

When I stand, it's like the Quick Seed shouldn't have had any effect at all; I'm hindered by the damage to my leg. Could Electrike's teeth have pierced straight to the bone? It feels like it. Still, I'm not finished yet. Closing my eyes, I reach deep down inside me, finding a source of anger to my pain. When the Electrike tries to tackle, I manage to surprise him not with a weak, injured animal, but one fiercely enraged Riolu. I screech and repeat Force Palm, the move has enough strength behind it to knock him back against the next rock ledge where he doesn't get up.

As I right myself, Ri races over next to me, in equally bad shape. We find ourselves backed against the boulder again and just before I can irrationally pounce upon the last three, he says, "I think now would be a good time to use Aura Sphere, don't you?"

…Oh, yeah. I forgot about that move.

Reaching within again, I touch into my aura. In preparation to fling the glowing orb at them, my fingers spark to spark with blue energy.

Nothing happens.

The Electrike and Manectric begin laughing hysterically, and I gulp, mumbling, "Looks like that last time was just a fluke."

The Manectric suddenly darts forward, pounding me in the gut. My head jerks back as I cry out, hitting the rock behind us. As I slump to the ground, the world fades to black.

…

Something's put into my mouth. I hesitate for a moment, wondering what it is, but then my body starts doing the thinking for me and begins chewing. I hear voices talking back and forth, but they seem to be coming from a distance.

"Is she going to be ok?"

"She'll be fine. The Reviver Seed I gave her should get her up and moving in no time."

"Thank you again for saving us, Dusknoir, sir." Wait…Dusknoir is here? Ri voices what I'm thinking, "How'd you find us?"

"I overheard Marill and the Kecleon brothers talking about how you two went to find the Water Float," he answers, "I wish I had known where you both were off to sooner so I could've warned you."

"We're glad you came when you did. Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."

Cracking one eye open, I find that someone has set me sitting up against the rock and that my leg has been bandaged. Ri, seeing me awake, rushes over, "You're ok!" he exclaims.

Looking behind him, I see Dusknoir floating over to us, "Are you alright, young one?"

I nod, allowing my gaze to fall to my feet. "Thank you," I reply softly. Maybe I was wrong about him. Dusknoir did come out all this way to help us, even though he didn't have to. More than that, he patched me up, and Reviver Seeds aren't cheap or too easy to come by. In the mix of emotions, a bit of shame swells up for doubting him. "Who were those guys?"

"They are a nomadic tribe that always stays on the move, roaming constantly for places that seem hospitable to them. As you've seen, the Amp Plains are often lashed by thunderstorms this time of year, and they find it to their liking. Tragically, however, they were once attacked here and suffered terrible injuries, making them very sensitive toward trespassers. They strike first in fear of being stricken."

"You should've seen him, Lira! He popped out of nowhere and blocked this huge bolt of electricity that Manectric sent straight at us, then talked them down."

"That reminds me…" Dusknoir looked over some ways in the distance and shouted, "Isn't it about time you came out, you sneaking scoundrels?"

Upon hearing the familiar laughter of Skuntank and his thugs, I force myself to stand only for a pair of hands- one from each of the companions standing next to me- to try to make me sit back down. As the trio make themselves known, I yell defiantly with a bitter sting, "You cowards! You were waiting for the Electrike to do your dirty work!" The pair has to hold me back in order to stop me from attempting to attack all three of them at once.

"But we didn't count on that guy meddling," Zubat replies with a scowl and a nod in Dusknoir's direction.

With an impatient sigh a parent might give an unruly child, the ghost-type answers for himself, "Shall we settle this?"

This seems to put them on edge. They look to each other, back at us, and then take off running. Apparently, the thought of fighting Dusknoir doesn't appeal to them.

"They certainly are quick when it comes to fleeing, but I'm afraid our effort would be wasted if we gave chase now."


	13. Answers

Marill and Azurill were elated upon the return of their Water Float. We had to give Dusknoir a lot of the credit for getting us out of that mess in one piece though. I try offering to pay him back for the Reviver Seed, but he'll have none of it. All five of us stand by the Kecleon brother's shop as we tell them the event.

"I must say that Team Crusade has been superb," states the eldest brother when we're through, earning a nod of agreement from his second, "Again you both have completed a difficult job, and when rescuing Azurill, you were so quick to pinpoint the child's whereabouts."

From our position sitting on top of a crate, Ri and I give each other a knowing smile, a question forming in our minds; _Should we tell them? _ Seeing my nod, Ri turns to the others waiting for us to respond and says, "Actually, we have to admit something. It would be great if everything happened the way you said, but it's not the truth. We didn't pin down Azurill's location; my partner happened to see it in a dream."

This answer catches all of them off guard. None of them seem to know what to make of it. I begin to worry we might've done something wrong admitting that, when finally Dusknoir breaks the silence, "A dream, you say? What do you mean by a dream?"

Ri looks to me with a glint of excitement, "That's right! Maybe Dusknoir will know what it all means." I grin hopefully. I suppose that, since people say he knows so much, then if anyone could tell me what was going on, it'd be him. "You see, my partner can get strange dizzy spells when touching something or someone, and then she sees or hears something from the past or future."

"What?" he nearly shouts. Everyone is so shocked by the unusual outburst that we jump. Calming himself down, he continues, "Well, that's…. that's the Dimensional Scream."

"What's that?" I ask, a little afraid.

"If he knows about this," Ri looks to me, "Maybe he'll know about everything else."

I look up at the ghost-type, whose staring right back at me in interest. There's something else in his gaze as well, but that something is a thing I don't want to look into. Despite this though, I _want_ to trust him, and I need someone to tell me what's happening and why I can't remember. And so I start to tell him everything from the beginning. We even lead Dusknoir to the spot where Ri found me on the beach.

"I see… So you found our friend unconscious right here… Then you regained consciousness, only to have lost your memory."

"Not entirely," I answer, "I remember my name and that I once was a human, but there's nothing else. Sometimes, I think I get dreams, or visions, of my past… but I don't know." I sigh, "Nothing seems to fit together."

This shocks Dusknoir further, "I beg your pardon? A _h-human_!" Had been drinking, I'm certain it would've been like one of those comical bits where they do a spit take. Maybe I shouldn't have told him that so soon. "I'm sorry, but you appear to be a Pokemon in every obvious way!" That's true; maybe all of this is even beyond his understanding. I still can't even recognize myself either and admit to having a few doubts about that particular fact.

"We don't know what caused the transformation," Ri replies.

"A human… with the Dimensional Scream ability…" Dusknoir muses to himself. Looking at me, he continues, "You said you know your name at least? I don't believe I've been granted the courtesy of knowing it yet, but…"

"Lira," I answer.

"Lira…" he repeats, carrying out the 'A' and allowing the name to drift as if a whisper of a bad omen. A sudden shiver that I can't explain jolts down my spine.

Ri looks back and forth at the two of us before stepping up, "I'm sorry, sir, but does that name meaning anything to you?"

I shiver again when I think I catch the faintest of smiles cross Dusknoir's face that he easily hides. I can't help the feeling of being placed under a microscope, under severe inspection. "Unfortunately, no, the name means nothing to me. I'm sorry I can't be of any help. However, I do know about the ability Lira possesses. The Dimensional Scream; How such an ability is learned, no one knows this, but sounds and images slice across the boundaries of time, breaching objects and reaching into Pokemon to manifest visions."

"The Dimensional Scream?" Ri and I look at each other, "I'm not sure if I like the sound of it."

"Maybe this is why we became friends," Dusknoir says, grabbing our attention once more, "To help unravel the secret of Lira's transformation. I offer my full cooperation if I can be of any further assistance."

"Really?"

"Of course," he then smirks and laughs heartily, "I can't stand knowing there's something I _don't_ know." As if I wasn't feeling tense enough, a large number of Pelipper fly over us. Their anxiety ripples down to Ri and I as they dart off to the west. "Could something be the matter?"

"Hey!" a familiar voice cries. Turning around, we see Bidoof racing toward us in a hurry, panting miserably with a look of panic on his face. "I f-finally… f-found you all… A call's been put out; all apprentices need to return to the Guild quickly!"

"I'll go with you," says Dusknoir as we begin running back to the Guild compound. I haven't even moved a few yards when I feel something stick out and trip me- a leg I think, making me fall flat on the sand with a grunt. Ri's already there to put one arm around his shoulders as Dusknoir and Bidoof turn to help.

"I've got her," he waves them off, "It's probably just her leg; it may still be injured. I can help her get back to the Guild. You two go on ahead."

When they're out of earshot, I turn on him. Who else would've tripped me? "What was that for?!"

"I needed an excuse to slow us down so I could talk to you," he answers calmly as we begin the small trek once again. I could actually move faster, but Ri makes it seem like I'm barely able to hobble. "Lira… I can feel that something's wrong with you. The aura doesn't lie; I can tell when you're sad or scared." When I raise an eyebrow, he explains, "It's an ability we Riolu have. It lets our friends know when we need help or comfort, and you might as well be sending out a beacon.

"Why are you so afraid of Dusknoir? I know it's always around him that you get that way, and you're hardly afraid of anything. So why him when he's not only saved us, but trying to help you figure all of this out?"

I shake my head, as if that'll clear my thoughts. "Don't you feel it, Ri? Something's very wrong, and you me Dusknoir… we're somehow all caught in the middle of it. I want to trust him, I do… but all at the same time, it doesn't_ feel_ right."

"I'm just as confused as you are, Lira. But going too deep into who's a friend and who's an enemy isn't going to fix anything, and we need as many allies as we can to figure things out. I trust Dusknoir; I think he's genuinely trying to help. I mean, why would he have anything against us to begin with?"

If only I knew.

…

When we finally get to the Guild, everyone is in a frantic frenzy, standing around the Outlaw Notice Board. We try to make sense of the chaos, but it's useless. Finally, Chatot flies over. "Another Time Gear was stolen!" he alerts us, "It… it was the one from Fogbound Lake."

"B-but how?" Ri questions after we both have gone through our shock, "We were the only ones to know about it, right? How could this happen unless… unless someone from the Guild talked…" He goes silent and looks around. I do too; something like this is going to cause a lot of suspicion and distrust toward every apprentice.

"That couldn't be true," Corphfish looks to everyone else, "… Could it?"

From the emotions that radiate from each apprentice in the room, I can tell that, no, no one amongst us spilled their guts and blabbed about Fogbound Lake. "Although this is a major coincidence," I voice, "I don't think it was anyone here. I don't see any of us breaking our word to Uxie."

"From what we've been told," says Chatot, "A lone intruder slipped into Fogbound Lake, knocked out Uxie, and took the Time Gear in one swoop."

"Is Uxie alright?" Ri asks.

"She's safe," Wigglytuff assures, "and currently under the protection of Magnezone's squad."

"According to Uxie's victim statement, we now have the criminal's identity. The wanted posted arrived and is part of an all-points bulletin. See for yourselves." Ri and I approach the board, looking through the wanted posters. There, right in the center for all to see, is a Pokemon called Grovyle. That explains all of the Pelipper we saw, flying off to deliver wanted posters to every exploration team from every region. "Officer Magnezone has taken a high-priority to catch the thief, and has placed a remarkably high bounty on Grovyle's head."

In the midst of the noise and panic, Wigglytuff's Hyper Voice still cannot be ignored. Ri and I swiftly grab hold of each other and steady ourselves along one wall to avoid the most damage. The walls and floor begin to rattle as the sound waves ring throughout the compound and possibly a good part of the town. For someone who seems so often in their own little, happy world, Wigglytuff sure knows how to make a demand like a leader and see to it that all follow his orders. Everyone immediately falls silent and turns to the Guildmaster. "Settle down and pay attention! We'll catch the thief; I vow it upon the name of this guild. From now on, we'll be putting our full focus on capturing Grovyle and bringing him to justice."

"Wigglytuff," Dusknoir says, drawing every eye his way, "I believe I understand the situation now, and I wish to join in your Guild's pursuit of Grovyle."

He nods and gives a slight grin, "Thank you, Dusknoir. You're help would be appreciated. I want everyone to prepare and return here for a briefing on the search. Until then… Chatot?"

"Y-yes, Guildmaster," he still is shaken up from the Hyper Voice. Clearing his throat and regain composure, he says, "Dismissed."


	14. The Northern Desert

"Think you might miss the falls now, Lira?" Ri asks sarcastically as we trudge on through a minor- compared to most in this area- yet vicious sandstorm, shielding our faces with our arms. A harsh sun beats down upon us from above and beads of sweat collect on our foreheads. Every team was assigned to some area where a Time Gear might be located in order to find Grovyle; Lucky us, we got sent to the Northern Deserts. If sending us to these kinds of places is Chatot's idea of a joke, I'm not laughing. Then again, seeing as how I can't fathom anyone wanting to come here, I suppose it's a good place to hide a Time Gear.

"Don't start," I warn him. Gritty, grainy sand flies into my mouth before I can shut it. For this reason alone, we rarely speak. Good thing we packed extra water; we've only been out for a few hours and already my throat feels dry. I wouldn't be too shocked if my tongue could function as sandpaper. Ri's probably just as tired and thirsty as I am, but he doesn't complain. Still, how long before we keel over from sheer exhaustion and dehydration? There's no telling how long we'll need to salvage our supplies for and if this sandstorm gets any stronger…

After a while longer, things begin to grow dark. Even though we can hardly see what's in front of us anyway, I'd rather have limited vision than none at all. I've been looking for any sign of shelter for some time now, and, squinting to see, I think we might have finally found some. Hoping that it's not just a mirage, I gesture for Ri to follow me.

Upon entering a small cave, the wind abruptly stops. At least, it looks like a cave. Once Ri is inside as well, I back away to the side farthest from the entrance and sit down, letting out a tiny cough. For a minute, I worry that I might get dust pneumonia. As if reading my thoughts, Ri joins my side and says, "We should probably get some rest and see if we can wait the storm out. Even if there is a Time Gear somewhere in this no man's land, I doubt even Grovyle will take the risk to go on ahead. We can head out first thing in the morning to make up for lost time."

I hand him our bag, and as he sorts through everything to lay out a small meal, I, keeping my eyes squeezed shut, step out of the cave just long enough to find some dry plants and twigs by feel that I thought I saw sprouting from the ground nearby. In the brief time until my return, Ri has lain out a little fraction of our food into two equal piles: a banana, an apple, mint leaves, some nuts and berries, and- best of all- a poffin with a little honey slathered on top.

Picking up the treat from one of the piles, I ask, "How'd you manage to sneak this out?"

"Remember those Rawst Berries we found a few days ago? I bribed Chimecho with some if she snuck a couple of these out of the kitchen for us." He hands me one of the two cups from our pack, already filled with water. "I'm beginning to think you're a bad influence on me."

"Hey," I smirk, holding back a chuckle, "At least I don't rob the food stockpiles clean like Team Salacious did. A handful of chestnuts gone missing is nothing, and I've never heard you or your stomach complaining."

"As I've said," he sips his glass to hide a smile of his own, "you're a bad influence on me."

After I've got a fire going, we begin our meal. Ri's got our map out as well, pointing out to me the different routes Pokemon have already taken through the desert and showing which way he believes we should try next. There's an obvious area all routes seem to avoid by going around it that we assume is our best bet to finding a Time Gear and therefore Grovyle.

I watch Ri as he explains a plan of action to me. He's changed within such a short time. No longer is he that Riolu that stepped away quietly or looked down when speaking with someone else. He's so much stronger and more confident now, inspiring others, people like Marill, Azurill, and Bidoof, to be as well. He's becoming a leader. I can see it in his eyes.

Those eyes… Warm and welcoming since the moment I awoke to this strange new life, consoling on nights I'd wake up screaming from a nightmare that felt so real yet I couldn't explain how or why, cheerful at times when we'd share a laugh for no real reason, timid at times when courage can count most, and now, like on many of our other missions, a pleasant mix of maturity, determination, and hope.

"Ri," I address halfway through our meal, turning his attention away from the map and instead onto me. The words just seem to pore out without my control, "I don't know why, but even though it still wasn't very long ago that you found me, I feel like I've known you my whole life."

"Thanks, Lira," he replies, "With your memories lost, I understand how it can feel that way. You have to start all over again- a new life, a new path, a new place, and new friends. You have to create new memories."

"That's not what I mean," I catch his eyes and hold them there, "It's like I already know how you will act or what you will say before you do. I know you're brave, patient, smart, and unbreakably loyal. I think… I think I've known since day one that I could always depend on you when I needed you." When I pause, I'm the one who has to break eye contact, staring toward the crackling fire. Why do I feel like I'm revealing something that's been bottled up within me for a very long time? "It just feels like… there's always been a connection. Between you and me."

"The aura has a way of doing many strange things," he replies, grinning brightly and looking to the flames as well, "Maybe it knew we needed each other, and so our lives were bound together. So, in a way, our meeting was inevitable."

"Spoken like a true Aura Guardian," I smile, tossing a berry into the air for me to catch.

"An Aura Guardian?" he chortles, "I think I'd be more of an Aura Flop." He swiftly catches the berry in one hand before I can with my mouth and pops it into his own. "Although I do know a few tricks."

"No fair," I stick my tongue out at him as he laughs. Very soon, this leads to a contest to see who can catch the most flying food, where we're playing more than we are eating.

By the time we settle down, night has fallen and the world turns cold around us. The fire burns hot, flames illuminate our faces, but the drastic drop in temperature makes it feel as if we're in the artic. For a rare moment, I'm thankful for having fur instead of bare flesh. Ri and I both pull out our blankets- we would've gone without them, since Pokemon typically don't use them, but I insisted- and wrap them around us.

I'm still freezing. Soon, I find myself shivering. My teeth begin to rattle and clack, and I pull my legs closer to my chest, seeking to ball up for heat.

"Maybe we should huddle together for warmth?" Ri suggests. Nodding rapidly, I pull off my blanket and toss it around both of us as he does the same, quickly scooting next to him before the temperature can get to us.

That is how we sleep; curled together, resting upon each other for support, waiting the storm out until dawn.

But things don't go as planned. The weather is still horrible. If anything, it's worse the next day, so we spend another night in the cave. On the third day, we find that the storm has passed. Eager to get moving and stretch our legs, we head out just before sunrise.

…

We've been walking for some time when we finally reach the area from our map. Looking around with a quizzical expression, I can't see anything. Nothing at all that would appear to mark a threat, lifeform, or object of any significance. "Is this the deepest part of the desert?" I ask as Ri unfolds the map. I jump down from our position on a small rock ledge to the sand not a foot below us.

To my shock and horror, I find myself sinking.

"Ri!" I scream in fear.

"Quicksand!" he gasps, rushing over to help and carefully moving around the fatal trap. "Just stay calm and keep as still as possible, Lira; I'm going to get you out of there!" Bending down, he reaches out a hand as far as he can towards me. I do as well, but neither of us can reach. He frantically looks around in search of something to pull me in with, but there's nothing but rocks. "Try leaning forward, but go slowly. I think I could reach you if you were just a little closer. Quicksand's dense, so maybe it'll help your bottom half float up as well."

I do as he says and at first, it's working, but I guess I made a move too fast, because I suddenly fall deeper in, up to my breasts, crying out. "Lira, no!" Ri screams, missing my hand by a few centimeters this time. Closing his eyes, he starts to shake. When he reopens them, they glow a bright shade of blue. He lets out an angry, unearthly growl and stands.

I don't know what shocked me more at the time: the slowly rising sand creeping up to my armpits or the shimmering, meter long bone forming in his hands.

"Grab on!" he yells, holding it out to me. I do as told in an instant and he begins to real me in. There's a suctioning feeling around my body, but finally the sand gives way and I'm flung toward him. Still afraid as if the ground will come apart from under us, I wrap my arms around him and watch as the bone disappears as quickly as it came. The glow in his eyes fades.

When we're both certain we're safe, we let out a tired sigh in unison. Eventually, we look at each other with shared surprise and amazement. "That…" I gasp, "That was Bone Rush! You used Bone Rush!"

"Well, now I know the secret to successful moves," he says after a moment, "Absolute terror." I follow his gaze as it drifts around to the now noticeable pools of quicksand surrounding us. We're lucky that we hadn't fallen into one sooner, or that it wasn't both of us. "There's nothing here that even _remotely _looks like a Time Gear." I fall silent next to him. Again, I get the feeling that I've been here before, like when I did at Fogbound Lake. "Lira… You're spacing out on me."

When I tell him the feeling, he gives the place another look around. "You think there could be secrets hidden here?"

"There has to be."

"But there's nothing but quicksand pits."

_Nothing but quicksand_… I muse. Then I smile brightly and I stand, "That's it! That's the mystery! There's nowhere to go to look any further. But if we can't go forward-" my smile drops upon further realization, "then we have to go downward…"

Ri looks as me, horrified by my suggestion. Shaking his head, he asks, "How much sand have you chocked on or breathed in?"

"Ri! I'm serious!"

He falls silent, rubbing his temple. Eventually, he looks me in the eyes and nods, "Alright. I think you're insane, but I trust you. After our first real exploration, I suppose I should have more faith."

Any of the pits could lead to either death or a hidden passage. Reaching out with our limited abilities, we allow the aura to guide us to the one most likely to guard a secret entrance. As Ri grips my hand tightly in his, we share a look, take a breath, and jump.


	15. Hourglass

A scream dies as my back slams into solid ground, and air whooshes out of my lungs upon the quick landing. Catching my breath, I lay silently on the earth, hoping that I didn't break anything from the fall. I stare up above, to the swirling sand. Though the chamber we landed in is wide and large, the quicksand pit remains fixated along the top, with only small drizzles of sand, as if from an hourglass, pouring down into barely waist high along the floor. One would think that, after countless years, the chamber would have filled, but perhaps some form of magic unknown to us spares this place from such a fate.

Sitting up with a groan, Ri rubs the back of his head with one hand and gazes around the chamber at about the same time as I do. There are multiple passageways leading in various directions away from here, each one suspiciously dark. "Lira, you were right! There _has _to be something worth hiding here- and it's the perfect place to hide a Time Gear," his voice echoes around us, "but which way do we go? This place is a maze."

"I'm more worried about how we're going to find our way out of this one." I stand, dusting myself off and shaking free the sand from my hair. I take another look around… Yes, this is all so very familiar. Exactly like the time at Fogbound Lake. My heart beats like the solemn pounding of drums in my chest. It feels as if I'm walking through one of my dreams, like a ghost on the slim barrier between this world and the afterlife, faintly feeling my way through the labyrinth. Ri follows me without a word, no doubt trusting my sense of judgment more than I.

One foot in front of the other. One step after another. I'm blind in the darkness save for the few cracks that sometimes appear along the ceiling, so my hands make up for the loss of my sight, keeping contact with the frightfully cold stone walls. My fingers trace the carvings and imprints along the way. My head begins to reel as I move deeper and deeper into the maze. It's an amazing feeling, as if my body remembers going somewhere, or being called to a place, that my mind can't.

It's very deaf at first, but then the whispers begin to rise around me, drowning away the sounds of our feet stepping across the worn floor.

"_Would you look at this place… how are we ever going to find it? More importantly, how are we supposed to find our way __**out**__?"_

"_Yes I'm sure we're going the right way! Judging by the hieroglyphs, we should reach it any minute now… The hieroglyphs did say to come this way, right?"_

"_It has to be here! He wouldn't have sent us on a wild Psyduck chase."_

"I'm beginning to see a pattern," announces Ri, his voice breaking through just enough for me to register that he's speaking, "Or feel one anyway. When you brush your hand along some of the images, you can feel the outer shape of a gear formed in the stone." Passing me to head on up to the next two passageways, he steps over to the other side, examining the hieroglyphs by feel. "But over here, they're different. The inscriptions are like arrows showing the way."

Curious, I begin paying more attention to the details of the passageways to find that he's telling the truth. This is why we manage to find our way quickly to an underground lake almost as breathtaking as Fogbound Lake. My heart pumps rapidly when I see the Time Gear bobbing in the middle, radiating with power and pushing away the darkness.

"We did it! We found it, Lira!" Ri exclaims happily. "Toss the bag to me and keep an eye out. I'm going to refill our canteens while we have the chance." I do as he says, turning my back away and watching the one way inside.

That is, until everything becomes nearly black as night once more.

"Who are you?" a voice booms. It reminds me of Uxie's, but deeper and with a sting to it. The voice echoes around the lake, so we can't tell where it's coming from. Of course, how could we be so foolish? If Uxie was the guardian of the Time Gear at Fogbound Lake, we should've suspected there would be one guarding this one as well. "Stay away from the Time Gear! I won't allow you to disturb it!"

Ri backs away slowly from the lake, as if something were to pop out and drag him under to a watery grave. I stand by him, back to back, and say, "We aren't here looking for trouble. We're only-"

Before I can finish, something large slams into my side knocking me a ways away from where I was standing. Ri, struck by the same blow, lands beside me in a heap, grunting. In our old place rests a huge boulder. Having been thrown some psychic ability, it does some heavy damage to both of us since we're fighting types. A pink and grey Pokemon similar to Uxie in appearances soon makes herself known, glaring at us in anger. "I am Mesprit, Guardian of the Underground Lake," she practically screams as she levitates the boulder once more, "and you are not welcome here!"

"Looks like we're stuck with normal-type moves," I tell Ri and we both dive out of the path of the boulder. It smashes into the wall behind us, becoming nothing but a pile of rubble. I cover may head as a few of those chunks rain down on me. "Please! Just listen to us!" Ignoring the pleading cry, Mesprit sends a Psyshock blast directly at us. I feel myself get rammed by a force so powerful from all sides that I sink to my knees once it's all over.

"Lira, Copycat!" Ri shouts, not in insult, but in command. It's an order to use that move. Almost in unison, Ri and I begin to glow with the power of Aura, reaching within. Together, we send Mesprit a double dose of her own medicine. Naturally, Psychic moves have little affect against Pokemon of the same type, but it slows her down long enough for use to each use Endure.

I hold back a wince as I stand. Those Psychic moves can really pack a punch. "Can you just-!" she uses Hyper Beam and I quickly jump out of the way. Dust erupts around us as it strikes the ground. _"-stop it!"_ Pouncing at her, I act as if I'm about to use Quick Attack, but I she prepares to block it, I feint and strike hard from the other side, grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back. Despite her levitation abilities, I feel I'm pulling her closer to the ground. When we crash land on the dirt, she fights me with even more of a vengeance- if that's even possible- screaming obscenities at me. "Ri! Get a seed! Now!"

Searching through the pack like a starving Munchlax trying to retrieve the last apple, Ri swiftly pulls out a Stun Seed, rushing to my side before Mesprit can fight her way out of my grasp. He pops it in her mouth, covering her nose and mouth to block her airways so she's forced to swallow it. The second her thrashing stops, I know she's paralyzed. I release my hold and step in front of her, panting, "Now can we talk?"

"_Urgh_… I can't… I _won't_ let you take the Time Gear!"

Ri makes a sound of agitation, "Will you _please listen_ already?! We didn't come here to take the Time Gear! We're here to _protect_ it!"

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me!" Mesprit warns menacingly, "Uxie used her telepathy to tell me what happened! I know the Time Gear from Fogbound Lake was stolen! If it wasn't you two, than whose responsible?!"

Someone behind us coughs to clear their throat, "That would probably be me." Spinning around, Ri and I stare into the face of the thief; Grovyle. Approaching us, he adds impassively, "I must apologize, but I _will_ be taking that Time Gear." My eyes widen when within barely a few seconds Grovyle smacks Ri and I to the side and stands in front of Mesprit, who- despite the Stun Seed which should've kept her down for much longer than she had been- stands between him and the lake, blocking his path to the Time Gear. Even with her amazing strength of will, I can see that she is no match for him, not with the seed holding her from her true potential. "Stand aside," Grovyle orders with venom.

"_Never!"_ As if in slow motion, she raises her hand to use Psyshock. However, Grovyle beats her down before she barely has it in the air. Mesprit falls to the earth on her side, clutching her abdomen.

"You didn't give me much of a choice. You lost that fight and sustained damage, so if I were you, I wouldn't push it."

"No!" Together, Ri and I race in front of him before he can get to the lake, "You're not getting by us! We won't let you take the Time Gear!" I catch a look of pity in Grovyle's eyes- he knows we've taken far more damage than Mesprit has. He knows it would be mere child's play to knock us out, and then…

"All right…" he says with a hint of disdain and impatience, "I'm sorry for this then." In a blink of an eye, we're struck down once more, completely knocked off our feet and thrown different directions by his blunt blows. "Forgive me. I have no quarrel with any of you, but I'm taking the Time Gear!"

Ri, Mesprit, and I lie in painful heaps on the ground as Grovyle steps into the lake. Struggling, shaking with effort as I push myself back up, I hurry over, breathing heavily. Taking him by surprise, I catch Grovyle in the shallows and tackle him, causing us to both slip and fall in the water.

"Are you mad?!" he shouts once he has me pinned on my back, my ears just under the water, "Why bother to go and throw your life away like this, in a cave in the middle of nowhere where no one will even find your corpse?"

"To stop _you_!" I shriek as I send all my strength through my legs in order to kick him off of me and send him flying further into the lake, "The Time Gear stays!" I turn to face Grovyle, but am shocked and a little insulted when he continues to swim to get to the Time Gear. "Oh, no you don't!" I pounce for him again and manage to catch him below the waist.

The shallows drop off here, down into water who knows how deep. Grovyle and I are a tangled mess of limbs in the water- kicking, clawing, and punching wildly at one another. Well, more so me than him.

At one point, he punches me in the stomach, causing my body to curve forward and my mouth to open in a cry of pain. But no sound comes. I'm shoved under the water before I even have time to gasp. Water floods into my mouth and then my lungs. I struggle to come up for air, but Grovyle keeps me under, using one hand to hold one of mine behind my back and the other to keep my head down. It all but futile, but I rake my claws with my free hand across the one holding my head to try to at least partially get out of the hold. Opening my eyes, all I can see are the leaf-like appendages on his forearms and a massive amount of swirling bubbles. It's a terrible experience; drowning, and now I have the unfortunate luck to go through it a second time. My vision starts to go black as a final bubble escapes past my lips and floats to the surface.

I don't know what happened, could never describe what happened, but the next thing I'm fully aware of is lying on the edge of the lake, my chest and right cheek very sore, coughing up water. If there had been a feeling of flying, I must have imagined it.

Ri and I somehow are able to crawl over to each other and then finally to Mesprit. As a trio, we help each other stand and catch our breath. "I'm so sorry I doubted you," Mesprit says in a shameful whisper, "Uxie must not have been talking about you, but that Pokemon…" She grunts we effort as she tries to move forward on her own. "Quick, we have to get out of here!"

"Why?" I'm answered by the massive rumbling of the stone walls surrounding us. Stalactites fall from the ceiling to crash to the ground like glass shards.

"What's happening?" Ri cries out.

"With the Time Gear stolen, time cannot properly flow in this area. If we don't hurry, we'll be trapped in time!" We run with all our might towards the exit, but before we reach the passageway, Mesprit collapses. The Stun Seed hasn't worn off yet! "Go on!" she shouts, "I failed my purpose, but you must save yourselves! Stop that Pokemon before it's too late!"

"We're not leaving you behind!" Ri shoves our bag in my arms and rushes back over to Mesprit, helping drag her away from the lake. She does what she can to make it easier for him by using her levitation abilities. Already, I can see the water go still and the colors turn gray as time ceases moving. I urge them on ahead of me before following suit.

If you have ever seen an hourglass with the sand gone still, you have witnessed one of the most unsettling sights known to man and beast alike.


	16. Starry Nights

"_I don't want to harm you, so stay out of this!" a voice yells in the midst of my coughing fit, grabbing me by the tail and one arm._

Gasping, I open my eyes at look up at the ceiling of our dimly lit room back at the Guild compound. Ri and I both made it back in one piece with Mesprit, who was currently under protection with Uxie.

I remember now… about the last fight back in the Northern Desert. Someone threw me across the lake and back to shore before I could drown- specifically, Grovyle. But, why? Why wouldn't a criminal like him just kill me? Now that I really think about, he kept on apologizing too. It just doesn't add up.

Lying there, restless and unable to fall back to sleep, my thoughts bounce back and forth within the confines of my skull. I can't stop thinking about that fight. No, not the fight; more so our failure to protect the Time Gear. Some exploration team we're turning out to be right now. We needed rescuing back in the Amp Plains, we couldn't talk sense into Mesprit before she attacked us, and we couldn't stop one thief. So far, we've been getting by by the skin of our teeth and a little luck.

And I haven't been able to use Aura Sphere at all since that first time fighting the Groudon Illusion.

Maybe Ri's right, and it was only because I needed to, because of such a pressing moment, that I was able to use Aura Sphere. Much like how he was only able to use Bone Rush when saving me. Both moves are only supposed to be learned when a Riolu evolves into Lucario. I can't imagine how we were able to use them to begin with, but if we could master either of them, they would give us a huge advantage against our opponents. And if we're going against Grovyle, they may be advantages we desperately need.

Trying not to disturb Ri, who snoozes beside me in an exhausted slumber, I roll out of bed and quietly sneak out the door. Sleep obviously isn't coming and there's no time like the present. I tip-toe past the other rooms and head outside, going to the outskirts of town so no one will hear.

I pick a good-sized rock as my target. Entering a meditative state, I place my hands palms outward in front of me and concentrate. I feel ripples of the aura that surrounds and flows through me and tap into its source within. A few shimmering sparks lick my fingertips.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I continue to attempt to use Aura Sphere again and again with no such luck. My patience fleeting and my aggravation with myself growing, I begin to lose concentration. Like this, I know I'll never be able to do it. So eventually, I give up and just began going through the motions, as if I were actually launching an Aura Sphere at the rock in front of me, making little grunts as I act out pitching one after another with increasing force. After maybe hours of this, I find my focus slowly returning, giving all attention to my target.

A tini, tiny glowing sphere, no bigger than a marble, suddenly flies from my hands, scorching the side of the stone and leaving a dark spot. It takes me a minute to realize what I've done. I stare down at my hands and smile- it's a start anyway- and whoop in excitement. I'm about to try again when a voice stops me.

"Nice shot, but could you try to make it a little bigger?"

I look around before I spot Ri sitting up in a tree, watching me from above. "How long have you been here?"

He shrugs, "Maybe an hour or so. I woke up and you were gone. After everything we've been through so far, I figured I might come looking for you." Nodding to the rock, he adds, "You're getting better."

"Thanks, but if I tried that with Grovyle, he'd probably just collapse in a laughing fit before taking a Time Gear."

"That wouldn't be so bad." Ri hops down next to me, "Then it'd be easy to get him while he's down."

"Haha, you're such a comedian," I say sarcastically, cuffing his shoulder.

"If we really want to catch Grovyle, I think we'll need to improve a little more than our moves." He scratches the back of his head in thought. "Did you see how fast he was moving? He's got speed on his side. So, the way I see it, the best way to take him on is to get a little faster too."

He has a point there. Any move, no matter how powerful, would be useless against Grovyle if we weren't swift enough to land the blow. "We've got some serious training ahead of us."

"Tell me about it, but the next time we face that thief, we'll be ready for him. And speaking of working on our speed…" Suddenly, Ri gives me a light shove forward, causing me to momentarily flail my arms out as I try to regain my balance. In the meantime, he takes off running ahead of me, "Race you to the beach!"

After my stumble forward, I yell after him before chasing him down, "Hey! No fair!"

Laughing, ignoring what little pain he still may feel from his previous wounds, he races away down the dirt path to the shoreline. I follow in hot pursuit, all thoughts of continuing training for the night gone as I hurry to catch up. Slowly, I begin gaining on him, but not fast enough to reach the shore before he does. I urge myself forward before catching sight of the tree line nearby.

Grinning, I get an idea.

Ri finally comes to a stop, catching his breath by the waves that rush over his toes. Turning back he cries, "Ha! Beat ya!" then gives a look of confusion upon finding that I'm not behind him as I should be.

I pop up from the side of the beach cave not too far in front of him, my arms crossed over my chest. "Well, it certainly took you long enough." I had used the trees as a type of shortcut to get ahead rather than travel down the winding path.

Realization dawning on him, he smirks, "Cheater."

"All's fair in love and war, my friend."

Jumping up on the rocks to sit beside me, we both roll over on our backs, gazing lazily at the pale full moon above us. It's a cloudless night and the stars glisten brightly, winking at the world as they twinkle. After our breathing returns to normal, Ri asks, "You know what stood out to me about you most when we met?"

"What?" I question cautionately, but still curious.

"Your walk." He stands up, with his knees close together and his calves spread apart to further illustrate his point, quivering in a mocking way. Seeing me snarl, he chortles, "You looked like a Bonsly with a limp before you got used to being a Riolu." He then awkwardly waddles to the side, laughing all the while.

Once his back is turned, I give him mischievous smile. All while still lying on the ground, I place my hands behind the back of my head, shut my eyes sleepily, and unceremoniously kick him off the rock's edge, causing him to plummet into the water below with a loud splash, startling awake some of the nearby Krabby.


	17. Crystal Clues

Ri and I, training together one sunny afternoon near the bluffs, are alerted to the approaching presence of one of the other apprentices racing toward us. "Guys, the last exploration team has finally made it back. The Guildmaster wants everyone in conference to discuss our next move. Come on!" Without hesitation, we follow. After a while of hearing nothing, we're both anxious for some good news.

All of the other apprentices seem to be in the same state of anxiety as we are. They crowd around each other, trading theories and worries about where Grovyle may strike next, especially to Bidoof's team- the one that just returned. Seeing us, he pushes through the crowd, his pack still strapped to his side from not even having time to return to his quarters for a few brief minutes. It's worse than when we arrived, and that had been bad enough. Everyone who had returned from their own search had questions to ask, wanted to know the full story, and wanted to talk to an already weary from travel and despair Mesprit. It had been the one time I had been glad for Chatot's hovering over us, because he was able to shoo most of them away until we had finished delivering our report and sent Mesprit to join Uxie.

"Everyone's saying that you found a Time Gear and ran into Grovyle. Is that true?" Bidoof asks.

Ri nods sadly, "Yeah, but we weren't able to stop him from taking it. He's tougher than we thought. Did you find anything?"

"Nothing; the Crystal Caves led to a dead end."

"Yet even with the world at stake, you managed to collect a rock," Sunflora pipes up next to him, a sour expression on her face.

Bidoof lowers his head with guilt and shame. "I already said I was sorry," he took out a glistening, strawberry red crystal from his pack and showed it to us, "I just couldn't resist."

"You were supposed to be searching for Grovyle and the last Time Gear," adds Loudred, walking over to the four of us, "not scavenging for souvenirs."

"We'll find Grovyle and stop him," I break in, "but chiding one another isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Neither will getting ourselves pumbled to a pulp," he mutters.

I let out a low growl in challenge, wanting to bring this fight outside if Loudred wants to test just how tough we are, but Chatot flies over and speaks before I can voice my anger, "Bidoof, Team Crusade, the Guildmaster would like to see you three in his chambers immediately. He and Dusknoir believe they have found a way to find the final Time Gear."

Bidding a brief farewell to Sunflora and Loudred, we hurry to Wigglytuff's chambers, practically shoving our way through the sea of Pokemon. It's a relief when we finally come in contact with the door and push it open. Wigglytuff, gazing out one of the large windows facing the sea, and Dusknoir, floating by one of the large torches, give us their attention as we pool inside.

"Team Crusade," the Guildmaster greets, "Glad you could join us."

"You wished to speak with us?"

"Yes," Dusknoir answers, "We believe we've figured out how to find the fifth Time Gear. Given our own experiences at Fogbound Lake and based on your report of the one from the Northern Deserts, we think that it is clear that the Time Gear will be somewhere we least expect it to be, and a gateway of sorts to their location would be hidden in plain sight."

"There is also the coincidence of both Time Gears being found near some sort of lake."

"So we should look for sources of water in unusual places," Ri deduces.

"Exactly, but that's not all. Three Pokemon are said to keep the world in balance: Uxie- the Being of Knowledge, Mesprit- the Being of Emotion… and Azelf- the Being of Willpower. Since Uxie and Mesprit each guarded a Time Gear, it is likely that Azelf does as well."

"So… they places where we've already searched," I say, "Azelf's lake could be at any of them."

"Maybe, but after further research, I believe I've pinpointed down which one," Dusknoir looks over at Bidoof, "I have an idea so we may be able to test my theory. Bidoof, I'm told that you brought a gem with you from your search of the Crystal Caves. Would you mind if we borrowed it for a moment?"

"Well," Bidoof takes out the crystal and looks at it sadly, "Ok…"

When he hands it to Dusknoir, the ghost-type assures him, "Don't worry, we won't take it away or do anything of the sort. Now, Lira," he faces me, "I know you don't have full control over your abilities, but touch the gem and try to use the Dimensional Scream. If the Crystal Caves do indeed contain secrets, you may be able to trigger a vision."

Chatot and Bidoof are the only ones that seem shocked by the sudden knowledge of my ability. Dusknoir must've already told Wigglytuff about it ahead of time. Ri puts his hands on my shoulders, ready to steady me when the dizzy spells hit. As the crystal is placed in my hands, I concentrate, ignoring the intense stares of those around me.

_I black out, only for my vision to return to see Grovyle standing before a weakened, blue Pokemon that could only be Azelf. Her voice isn't wise and matured like Uxie's, or fierce and powerful like Mesprit's. Instead, when she speaks, her voice is soft and light, but with a unique, hidden strength all its own, "Ugh… Ugh, no…."_

"_Now, I'll be taking the Time Gear." Grovyle strides past her from her position on the ground._

_She begins to push herself back up, her arms shaking with effort, "No… No, you can't take it! Never!" she manages to look his way one last time, before falling back to the ground, nearly passing out._

When I snap back into reality, everyone's waiting for me to speak, "I'm not sure if what I saw was from the past or future," I tell them when I can say something again, "but either way, we should hurry." I describe what I saw to them as clearly as possible.

"So we may already be too late!" exclaims a worried Chatot. Before he and Bidoof can charge off in a panic outside to alert the other guild members, Dusknoir stops them.

"Hold on!" he takes the two by the arms and pulls them away from the door, "Yes, there is a chance Lira's vision could be something of the past, but let's not forget that it is equally as likely to be a vision of the future. Ri, you reported that Uxie had alerted Mesprit of the stolen Time Gear from Fogbound Lake, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Was Azelf ever mentioned?"

"No, sir. This is the first time I've heard of that Pokemon."

"Then there's still a chance, and as long as that chance remains, we cannot give up. If Lira's vision indicted a presence of a Time Gear, perhaps there is a passage to it within Crystal Cave."

"Shall I send out the call of duty then, Guildmaster?" Chatot asks, turning to Wigglytuff. When there's no response, Chatot flutters over to him, "Um… Guildmaster?" A small snore sounds in response. A bold move on his part, Chatot shouts at the top of his lungs, "GUILDMASTER!"

Snapping awake with a light snort, Wigglytuff looks around at all of us and then cries out, "Everyone we're going after Grovyle! YOOM-TAH!"

His Hypervoice nearly busts my eardrums.


	18. The Crystal Caves

The exploration teams move as a miniature army to the Crystal Caves, ever persistent and fiery in our pursuit of the thief. Even Dusknoir and the Guildmaster have joined the hunt. But when we finally reach the caves, we split off into our own individual groups to cover more ground. Ri and I have decided the best course of action is to go as deep as we can, just like in the Northern Desert. I see in the eyes the tenacious look of someone who understands the lives at stake if we fail and the courageous gaze of one who is ready to take on the world in every adventure.

We remain silent through the caverns, battling when we need to, but mostly trying to avoid conflict with the corrupted Pokemon of this area. Our real fight will be with Grovyle; we cannot be deterred to waste our energy with every Pokemon that challenges us along the why. Not to mention that there's a chance that Azelf may respond as poorly to our coming here as Mesprit did. We've packed quite a few Oran Berries incase, but hopefully we'll be able to dodge quickly enough so we won't have to use them.

After some time of walking, we come across a rock wall blocking passage further into the cavern. We look around, overwhelmed at the view of three large crystals protruding from the ground in perfect symmetry, forming a triangle. Each was in a different color; crimson, violet, and gold. Up until this point, we had seen nothing out of the ordinary. Ri and I share a look as we come to the same conclusion; these crystals could be a clue.

The key was to figure out what the trick was to them.

Ri reached over and placed a hand on the one farthest from us. We both gasp in surprise as it changes from a soft violet to a striking orange. Looking to the crystal left of him, he ran over to it and tried again with similar results, only this time the crimson turned into a pale mint green. "Try it with the last one, Lira."

I already know what's coming before I lay my hand on the cold, beautiful stone. I watch as it changes from a soothing blue, then to crimson, before my head begins to reel. I lean forward against it, sliding down on one knee.

"_I see…" a voice breaks in through the darkness, "The three spiritual elements of knowledge, emotion, and willpower… Azelf is the Being of Willpower. Willpower is the motivation that drives us, a unifying power in its own right. To unify is to make one, so if the colors of the crystals were to be made one, the path should reveal itself._

"_But what is the color of Azelf's spirit… Azelf lives at Crystal Lake, so Azelf's spirit must be affected by the crystals."_

"What did you see?" Ri helps me get back on my feet.

"Nothing, not this time anyway. I just heard a voice," I soon find myself examining the crystals in more detail, talking to myself, "Azelf is the being of Willpower and lives at Crystal Lake… The color of her spirit… Maybe clear as water or crystal?" I think back on my last vision, the one before the voice, seeing if that might give me a hint. However, a voice suddenly sweeps through my limited memory, one I feel that I've heard before.

"_I hate this," I hear myself say, scratching the skin at my temple underneath the blindfold._

_Someone chuckles, "It's only a precaution. I don't want you cheating now." There's the sound of footsteps as someone moves away. "You can't look with your eyes, child; look with your heart, your soul. Let the aura guide you." When I hesitate, somehow knowing I'm going to run into a tree or step off the nearby cliff ledge, the voice adds, "Just concentrate, feel the aura flow through you. Come to me; I know you can do it."_

_Steeling myself, I take one step forward, then another, concentrating as I've been told to do. I find myself seeing the trees, the rocks, the cliff, without really __**seeing**__ them at all, all highlighted in a shimmering blue. Their aura. Their spirit. I see a figure and approach it, stopping once I'm about half a meter away, looking up at a face I can't entirely make out. "How's that?" I say, elated at my success._

_The voice- no, two voices this time- try to stifle back their laughter. "That was excellent for your first try, but I believe you found the wrong person." As I take my blindfold off, feel the heat of a blush creep up my neck and color my cheeks a rosy pink, the memory slips through my fingers like so many grains of sand._

I still smile though. It seemed like such a fond memory. Whatever my past was, it must have been a good one, to have people like that looking out for me. Unshed tears that I have no control over attempt to blind me, making everything a blur. I don't even know why I'm so upset or if I even am.

"Lira, are you ok?" Ri asks, concerned.

I wipe the tears away before he can see. "Uh-huh, I was just… thinking." I turn around and point to the crystal next to him. "I think I know what to do now. The voice heard said the crystals should be one, all the color of Azelf's spirit. Aura is the life energy- in part, the spirit- of all beings, and aura often appears in hues of blue." I place my hand back on the crystal next to me to return it to that color. "It's just a hunch, but maybe…"

As I get to work on the second one, Ri changes the color of the third. Sure enough, the cavern begins to quake. We smile as we find we've figured it out.

That is, until the trio of crystal pillars begin to spark, sending lightning-like bolts to clash in the center of their triangle. Ri yanks me out of the way and shoves both of us down to the ground away from the trio, shielding me with his body and covering his head. Breaking through the tough, rock floor, an even larger pillar rises up, towering above its familiars. When the earth stops shaking, Ri rolls off of me, giving a quick apology, then walks around the mass of it. I follow, equally as amazed and curious.

"There's a tunnel leading further down," he reports, his voice echoing through said tunnel, "Maybe it leads to Azelf's lake."

"Only one way to find out," I clap him on the shoulder and begin the descent downward into the depths of the caves.

…

Upon discovering the lake and the glowing Time Gear in its center, we cheer in triumph. When we take our second look around, Ri exclaims, "It's incredible! Look at all the crystals emerging from the lake's surface… Wait, over there… someone's over there!"

I follow his gaze and my face drops upon recognition. It's Grovyle and Azelf! Grabbing Ri by his wrist, begin to run as fast as I can to the small island they stand upon. "Hurry! We're almost too late! We haven't much time!" We don't even bother to take the small path leading to the island and instead jump all the way from the shore line onto it, nearly slipping into the lake from the close call.

"Stop right there!" I shout, grabbing their attention before he can dive into the lake to retrieve the Time Gear.

"You two again?" he scowls, "Neither of you can learn to give up, can you?"

Ri, bringing over an Oran Berry, kneels down beside Azelf to give him the healing fruit while I step off to the side, prepared to pounce incase Grovyle doesn't turn himself in. Azelf, brushing away Ri's offer for a minute, speaks, "Wait… Grovyle."

This catches the Tree Gecko Pokemon off-guard, "You know my name?"

"Grovyle the Thief; you've earned quite a reputation. I heard from Uxie and Mesprit that you were coming. It would've been better if I had just knocked you out directly, but I also thought that I could possibly lose," she grunted in pain before grinning at him slyly, "That's why I set up a fail-safe system."

"What?!" he shouts angrily at her.

The diamond-shaped ruby on her forehead blinks for a second as she uses some psychic ability, then the chamber surrounding the lake begins to shake once more. Its tremors as so bad, I have to grab onto one of the nearby stalactite crystals for support and Ri falls onto his hands, almost squishing the berry. Suddenly, crystals pierce through the water, completely covering the lake and hiding it from site along with the Time Gear.

Azelf laughs weakly upon seeing Grovyle's dumbfounded look, "Grovyle… You'll never get the Time Gear now. Even in exchange for my life, you'll never…" her voice fails her.

His expression soon changes to one of outrage, "I mean to have it and I still intend to get it! I need that Time Gear! Even if it means eliminating you, Azelf."

"Over my dead corpse!" I snarl. Ri lays the Oran Berry on her chest stepping in between her and Grovyle at the same time as me. "If you want Azelf or the Time Gear, you'll have to go through us first!"

"Are you serious?" When he sees that we're not budging, he continues, "Fine. Then it seems you'll be joining her!" He darts straight at us, but we zip off to the side before he can strike. "Hmph; it would seem that you two have been practicing. Very well then; taste my Bullet Seed!"

A stream of golden seeds spit from his mouth like hail raining from above. Ri and I have just enough time to jump out of the way before they strike the place we had just been standing. I flip out of the way and attack Grovyle from behind, latching onto the leaf supplement that makes up for his lack of hair. He grunts as his head is jerked back, and then tries to swing a fist at me.

Ri then takes his chance. Speeding forward, he strikes him in the chest, using Force Palm. I let go before I can topple over with him. Dragging claw-like fingers over the stone, he stops himself from skidding very far away and lunges at me, knocking me off my feet to slam into one of the stalactites.

Again, Ri makes a go for him, landing a kick in his face before he recovers from his last attack. Having already fully mastered his new move from our training, a bright bone staff appears, shining in his grasp. He goes on defense and waits for Grovyle to make the next move.

Grovyle stands, then uses Leaf Blade, striking again and again as Ri blocks every swing, searching for his own opening in the midst of hits. They parry back and forth around the small island, with Grovyle taking charge, forcing Ri to move back. Ri's acting like he's been using Bone Rush his entire life, but I know he won't be able to keep this up for long.

Trying my best to sneak, I reach for a broken stalactite nearly as tall as myself. With it in hand, I get behind Grovyle, with Ri taking all of his focus, and swing with all my might at the back of his head.

Thwack! The large, crystal shard collides with his skull. Grovyle collapses to the earth in a heap, crying out in pain.

He doesn't get back up.

With the bone staff disappearing in his hands, Ri, panting, says, "Well, that was easier than I thought." We both turn our attention to a still hurting Azelf, "Are you alright?"

She nods, "I'll be fine. Just allow me a moment's rest and-" her eyes widen in fear, "Look out!"

Quickly spinning around, we find that Grovyle was only faking unconsciousness. Thoroughly ticked off, he makes a go for me. I'm so surprised that I know I won't be able to move out of the way in time, not at this close of a range. So instead, I prepare to counterstrike.

Someone shoves me aside before I can. I turn around and, to my horror, see Ri in Grovyle's hold, a glowing green leaf blade poised at his neck. "Don't!" Grovyle warns dangerously, the blade inching closer to Ri's throat. We stand at a standstill and I begin to growl at him. Ri- bless him- refuses to show an ounce of fear, glaring hatefully at his capture. "I don't wish to harm either of you. Stand down and get out of my way, and I'll release your friend, or you can attack and say farewell to him forever. It's your choice."

I stay frozen in place. Ri barks out to me from his immobile position, "Don't listen to him, Lira! You have to protect Azelf! You have to protect the Time Gear!"

"Quiet!" Grovyle shots me a look all of a sudden before his gaze falls back on his captive.

I still can't move, my body turned to stone and the blood in my veins to ice as the choice weighs heavily upon me. I can't lose Ri! He's my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without him. But if I give in, life for Pokemon everywhere will turn into a joyless, miserable existence and Azelf will die. Tears threaten to spill again, but I won't cry. I won't let Ri see me like that_. I'm sorry, Ri… I'm so sorry_.

I know what has to be done.

"You refuse?" Grovyle says when I don't move away, some remorse in his eyes. For a minute, I wonder if he can see through my façade of nerve. "Forgive me. This is all for the Time Gear." Ri shuts his eyes as the blade touches flesh. I, unfortunately, can't look away for fear of Grovyle bounding toward me and Azelf once he's dropped him.

"Stop!" A new voice booms. With a flash of light, Dusknoir appears before Grovyle, grabbing his wrist before he can make the killing blow. Ri is freed, but a trickle of blood seeps from his neck from a tiny gash. Dusknoir: just in time to save the day again. "Are you alright, Ri?" When he nods, placing a hand to cover his throat, Dusknoir faces Grovyle again, "Let me handle this!"

With massive force, Dusknoir shoves Grovyle to the ground, "Y-you?!" he cries out, getting back up. I dig through our pack, nearly tearing it apart as I scavenge for our medical supplies.

"It's been too long. It wasn't easy finding you Grovyle."

"You know him?" Ri croaks out before I can silence him, rubbing disinfectant into his wound.

"Gah! Even here! You chased me even here! You're tenacious, alright! You cling to me beyond expectation!" Grovyle shouts, ignoring the two of us and focusing solely on the ghost-type.

"You're not getting away this time!"

Grovyle closes his eyes, a smirk slowly creeping on his face, "Dusknoir, I'm surprised to see you in this world, but I'm ready!"

"So you'll fight!" Dusknoir makes an elegant gesture before getting into stance, "Then so be it, but can you win, against me?" Grovyle's smirk widens into a smile. Lunging forward, he jumps at Dusknoir, and a second flash of light appears. When we've recovered from the beam, we find Grovyle has vanished without a trace. Dusknoir punches a stalactite in agitation, "Blasted Grovyle! He never intended to fight me at all!" He screams to the chamber before fading before our eyes, _"There's no escaping me!"_

As we absorb what we've seen, a large group of voices sound from the exit:

"Oh my gosh! They're down!"

"Lira! Ri! Are you two alright?"

I see the other apprentices racing for us, filled with worry for my friend, I scream, for once allowing the tears to flow freely, as Ri has now fallen unconscious. "Help! Ri needs help!"

The others help carry Ri and Azelf out of the chamber, but I refuse to leave his side, longing for him to wake up and let me know he's ok. _Please, don't leave me yet!_


	19. Secrets Revealed

I haven't slept since our journey back from the Crystal Cave, not even to rest. There are dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, but I've refused to let myself pass out. Ri needs me. I watch him now as he sleeps on our bed, wiping his forehead free of grime with a wet rag.

The cool water seems to rejuvenate him, for his eyes flutter open and look at me dreamily. "W-Where…?"

"In our room, back at the Guild," I answer softly, urging him to lie back down with a gentle hand, "That was a brave thing you did for me back there, Ri. You saved me."

"You would've done the same if our roles had been reversed." I had him a steaming bowl of soup from dinner, along with a bun, and he takes the food greedily, stuffing his mouth full. "Is Azelf ok?"

"She's fine," I continue to soak his face, but he bats the rag away, too busy devouring his meal to be bothered with it, "In fact, her injuries weren't as severe as yours. She's here now, meeting up with the others." The others: meaning Uxie and Mesprit. "Everyone's worried about you. Should I let them know you're up?"

He shakes his head franticly, swallowing in order to speak, "Oh, please _no_! At least let me finish eating first!" When I laugh, he explains himself, "It's not that I don't like them, but I just don't want all of that attention."

"It's ok, I think I understand."

When he's almost finished with his meal, he continues, "Hey, Lira, do you think I could tell you a secret?"

"Yeah?"

"Well," he falls silent, collecting his thoughts, "I don't think I've ever had any other friends until I came to the Guild, not like the other apprentices, definitely none like you. I'm glad that I do have people like you beside me, but it's also a little different… and scary."

"What do you mean?"

"I left my folks early on, a long time ago, to come here to join the Guild, but when I got here I didn't have the guts to join by myself. I was a stranger in Treasure town. I had to get by on my own most of the time."

I give him a look of sympathy, "That must've been hard for you, living alone for so long."

"Sometimes, yeah," he replied, "but I got along fine, even though my funds slowly ran out. The Kecleon brothers and some of the other Pokemon in town helped me get by if I did errands for them. Sometimes they seemed a little too generous. I remember one night, before Marill and Azurill's mom got sick, their family invited me over for a meal. Their mom kept on adding to my plate, even though I kept telling her I was full," he grinned at the memory, "I think she was trying to fatten me up."

I nod, "There are many good people here."

"Without them, I would've probably gone straight back home," he holds one of my hands in his, "and without you, I never would have joined the Guild."

"…Ri," I speak, unable to look at him, "about everything that happened back at the lake… I'm so sor-"

"Lira, you had to. It's what I wanted. It's still what I want you to do if that ever happens again. You can't risk everything for my sake." When I don't answer, he rubs a hand comfortingly over my arm and pulls our bag into his lap. "Hey, I got you something. Close your eyes," I raise an eyebrow at him, "Close them." I do. After a little bit of hearing him shuffle through the pack and then silence, something slips over my head and across my shoulders. A small, yet solid weight presses against my chest. "Ok… Now open them."

Looking down, I gasp in awe upon seeing a little crystal, hanging by a thread, fashioned as a necklace around me. I take it carefully in my hands, watching as it catches the light, my mouth agape. "Ri, it's beautiful!"

He shrugs as if it's nothing, "I took it while we were in the caves. I've got my treasure, Bidoof's got his, it's only right that you have one too, especially after I had you throw away your Styler. Just don't tell anyone it's from me if any of the others see this. I don't want them nagging at me like they did Bidoof."

I fling my arms around him, "Thank you!" I say in a shaky breath.

"Lira?"

"Yes?"

"Just promise me one thing; that you won't leave, no matter how much I tick you off?"

I laugh, then remove my arms from him, looking him in the eyes, "Promise. We're Team Crusade; we'll stick together no matter what."

As I let Ri finish his food in peace, I step out of our room, tucking away the necklace in our bag. He makes me swear not to tell any of the other apprentices he's awake before I go. Now that I'm certain that Ri will be fine, there are a few more matters of business to take care off, specifically involving Dusknoir.

I just wish I didn't have to talk to him alone.

Standing in front of the door to his quarters, I take a deep breath and knock. I feel like such a child when he opens the door, towering over me. "Lira! I trust all is well with Ri now since you've finally left his side. You had trapped yourself in your room for quite a while with no rest; people were beginning to question if it was healthy for you."

I nod, "He just woke up and he's eating now. He just needs a little while to recuperate before he sees everyone else."

"That's excellent news! I'm relieved to hear he's alright. His injuries scared us all," he steps aside, holding the door with one hand and gesturing inside with the other, "I suppose you wish to talk?" When I hesitate to step inside, he chuckles and places a hand on my back, leading me onward, "I insist! Come in! There are a few mementos I've collected during my travels that I've yet to show anyone."

When the door closes directly behind me, I feel as if it's a trap snapping shut. Gaping, I take in the surprisingly cluttered room, filled with books, charts, and maps sprawled in piles on the floor or pinned to the walls. I stare at one particular map for a long while; it's much more detailed than the maps the Guild gives us, and there are some regions on it that I've never even heard of. Here and there, I recognize a few rare objects, such as a Thunder Gem and a vile of Poison Dust, carefully packaged or put in glass cases. "I apologize for the mess," eloquently, Dusknoir passes me and heads over to a small, foldable table, brushing some papers off to the side to clear room for two cups, a teapot, and a tray of treats. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you, sir," I shake my head, resisting the urge to look back at the door, my hands clasped behind my back. As he pours a single cup of tea, I continue, "I wanted to thank you for saving Ri's life. For saving us both. I didn't know what to do and Ri means a lot to me; he's my best friend."

"No thanks is necessary, young one. I was only doing what was right; what you yourself or any other member of Wigglytuff's Guild would've done."

"But I didn't," I lower my head guiltily, "_I'm_ the one that would've been the hostage if Ri hadn't pushed me out of the way in time. And then I wasn't strong enough to save him myself."

"Only because you couldn't," he places his hands firmly on my shoulders, "I had the opportunity to use the element of surprise on my side and found an opening to strike. You, on the other hand, had very little options. You made the best choice the best way you could," I don't answer so he lifts my chin up to make me look at him, "Lira, you were faced with a hard decision. We're all faced with them, but it takes the strongest of people to make the _right_ decision in the toughest of situations, even if it can mean sacrifice."

"Thank you…" I whisper faintly. How is it that he seems to know just what to say in any situation?

"Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"I was wondering… about the Dimensional Scream; how do you know so much about it? And how can I control it?"

"I've studied much over the course of my life. I've read ancient texts of beliefs and mythology scribed not only by Pokemon, but humans as well. I came upon the Dimensional Scream along the way, but with so few beings known in existence capable of using it, there wasn't much I could decipher. I found no record of how it was used besides the basic knowledge of coming into contact with an object before seeing a vision.

"Some texts stated a hypothesis that it was an ability gained through an incredibly powerful connection to aura, similar to how a user of aura can predict moves or sense their opponents before they even appear. If you were once a human as you say, I suppose it's not very shocking that of all the varying species of Pokemon, you would turn into a Riolu."

It seems I'll have to figure out the full use of the Dimensional Scream on my own then. "Just one more thing," I then dare to ask, "How did you know Grovyle? Or, put in another way, how did Grovyle know you? Back at the lake, it seemed as if you two had met before."

Dusknoir stays uncharacteristically silent, looking away. His fingers curl and uncurl into fists. With a sigh, he turns back to me, "It's only fair that you and the others know the truth now. You all have put yourself in enough risk that you need to know what you're completely up against and the costs that are at stake." Opening the door, he leads me back out, following behind. He starts heading the other way opposite of me, "I'm going to see if I can call an emergency meeting in town square; there is something everyone needs to understand. Go get Ri and then go straight there. This is something he needs to hear too."

I'm quick to follow my given orders, wondering what secrets will soon be brought to a new light.

…

As expected, a large crowd has already gathered by the time we arrive at the town square. In the back, away from the majority, Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit stay quiet and speak to each other in whispers, no doubt discussing the safety of the last Time Gear. When Dusknoir appears, followed by Officer Magnezone, everyone falls silent, waiting for what the revered explorer has to say.

"Everyone! While we should be happy that we protected the Time Gear this time, the fact is that Grovyle remains at large! Therefore, we cannot afford to feel safe and secure, for he will certainly make another attempt at stealing it.

"There is… another matter that ties to all of this; an extremely important matter that I must share with you all," he pauses, sending a ripple of worry through the crowd, "First, as I have been asked by Team Crusade, do I know Grovyle? That is correct; I do know Grovyle from before any of this.

"What I am about to say may be beyond your belief, but it also happens to be the truth. Furthermore, if what I'm about to reveal isn't stopped, calamity is certain! First, Grovyle is… Grovyle is a Pokemon that came from the future."

"The future?" Ri turns to me, "How is that possible?"

"Please! I need your undivided attention!" Dusknoir, shouting over the ruckus, gets everyone to focus on him again, "There, in the future, Grovyle is a notorious criminal, where a large bounty has been placed on is head. To avoid capture, he fled into the past, to this time. When arriving in this time, he plotted until he hit upon an utterly catastrophic plan; to cause the planet's paralysis.

"If a planet becomes paralyzed, all movement upon it ceases. When a Time Gear is removed from its region, the flow of time is slowed. As more are taken, time gets slower and slower until eventually the planet stops entirely, reaching a state of total paralysis."

"What happens then?" a Teddiursa asks.

"No winds blow. Day never comes. Neither spring nor summer ever comes. The paralysis would purge the world in unrelenting darkness. It would be no exaggeration to call it the complete ruin of the world. If all five Time Gears were stolen, the world would end in ruin."

Corphfish speaks up, "The one thing I don't understand, Dusknoir, sir, is how you would know all of this. I mean, I know you're very knowledgeable and wise, but how would you know about what hasn't even happened yet? About Grovyle being from the future?"

"What you say makes perfect sense, and under normal circumstances, I would never know of any of these things. So, why?" he takes a breath, "It's because, I too, am from the future," he continues, ignoring everyone's shock, "My objective is to capture Grovyle, and I needed to know as much as possible in my pursuit of him. So I studied everything I could about this world."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" someone in the back asks.

"I'm sincerely sorry, and I feel terrible for keeping all of this a secret for so long. I'm full of contrition. However, what if I had revealed my identity before now? Who would've taken me seriously? I'm certain that most of you, even now, still have your doubts. And I also needed to avoid alerting Grovyle to my presence. I kept my identity hidden so that I could go about my work. Yet still it is a fact that I have been deceiving you, and for that I deeply apologize."

Shouts of the contrary burst from the crowd. Everyone's sole anger turns to Grovyle. Even the usually poised and precise Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf agree to help Dusknoir track him down, claiming that they won't be made victims.

"Everyone, thank you so much. We, as Pokemon, must all work as one to capture Grovyle and put an end to his plot." The trio of psychics approach him with a plan to catch Grovyle by spreading rumors to seal away the last Time Gear forever, using themselves as bait to provoke the Grass-type to strike. "Everyone, spread the rumor far and wide that the trio shall return to Crystal Lake to seal the time Gear away! They shall go to the lake where I alone shall take him on. I have caused for many of you too much risk already. Besides, Grovyle will be extremely wary. To lay a massive ambush would only frighten him off."

All of the citizens give their murmurs of understanding. As the meeting is called off and everyone begins to retreat back to their daily routines, a question forms in my mind, "Dusknoir, sir, what did Grovyle do in the future that was awful enough to make him come here?"

"Something…" he turns his back and leaves, "unspeakable."

I frown, but don't pry any further. It's clear that he doesn't want to talk about it. Ri turns my way, "Does it really matter, anyway? What he's done? He's a criminal. All that should count is that he's caught, right?"

"Right…" But I'm not really sure of that.

That night we try to get some sleep, but even though I'm already exhausted from my lack of it, I just can't. I'm too restless. I can't stop thinking about Dusknoir, and Grovyle, and all that we heard today about, well, everything. _Grovyle's a criminal from the future who wants to cause the planet's paralysis, but he's not like the other criminals. He acts like he doesn't want any of this or harm any of us, not unless he has to. Dusknoir saved our lives on more than one occasion, but I'm still afraid of him and he's keeping secrets from us. Not just the ones he revealed today. There has to be more to the story. Still…_ I roll over on my side and watch Ri, curled up in a fitful rest, smiling in his sleep. _He's not the one that threatened to kill Ri. Perhaps he keeps his secrets to protect us all. Who knows what would happen if he revealed too much of the future to us._

"Lira, are you still awake?" Ri asks, cracking open his eyes in the darkness. Seeing that I am, he continues, "I have to admit, today was full of surprises. Dusknoir's talk about coming from the future was mind-boggling. He came to apprehend that thief and take him back to the future. That's why Grovyle's capture is his responsibility. We have to trust him about this."

I don't answer, but I snuggle closer to him, shivering not from the cold, but from fear and confusion.


	20. Head High

A siren goes off, startling us awake. Ri and I pop up from our bed and each get into a fighting stance, as if a threat will appear at any minute. When we realize that we're safe in our quarters and it's just the alarm system, we calm down and wait to hear the announcement.

"Attention: This is deputy Magnemite. We are pleased to deliver this report. Grovyle has finally been captured."

"_Yes!_" Ri cheers, "At last!"

"Grovyle was captured by the great Dusknoir. He has informed us that he will return to the future with Grovyle." Ri's smile drops upon hearing that his idol will be leaving. I myself feel nothing but confliction within. "I do not understand the details of the process, but they will be traveling through something called a dimensional hole. From what I am told, he has opened one within the town's main square. He wished for us to inform the Guild that he wanted to say his goodbyes before he left. Therefore, he hopes that you will come see him for the last time at Treasure Town's square. That is all."

As the transmission ends, Ri takes my hand and starts pulling me toward the door, wanting to hurry. I barely have time to grab on treasure bag before he pulls me away. We race out of the Guild compound and down the steep steps and dirt paths. My heart thumps in my chest, threatening to break free from the flesh and bone that confines it.

What am I so afraid of?

Almost everyone is already there when we arrive. I stare at the purple and black vortex that suspends from mid-air, endless on one side, non-existing on the other. Magnezone and his squad stand in front of it, blocking people from getting near what can only be the dimensional hole. As if they would need to; who would want to find themselves lost through time and space?

"Uxie! Azelf! Mesprit!" Ri greets upon spotting the trio through the mass of Pokemon. "I'm glad to see you're all safe."

"Naturally," Mesprit smirks.

"We recovered all of the Time Gears Grovyle had taken and shall put them back in their regions," adds Uxie.

"Dusknoir should be along shortly," adds Azelf.

Sure enough, within a few minutes people began to cry out in excitement and praise as the famed explorer comes down the street toward all of us. I swerve around the crowd, backing away from the majority, so I can see. Dusknoir, proud and tall, walks by, but it's not him I'm concerned with- not this time. It's the two new, strange Pokemon that are with him. Less than half his height, diamond eyes protruding from their skulls, a pair of Sableye block a bound and gagged Grovyle from fleeing from either side.

They're like creatures from my nightmares.

Grovyle shows no fear or struggle as he strides forward. He doesn't attempt to break free or take off running. Instead, he holds his head high as he is led away, keeping a hard, unshakable stare upon Dusknoir. As he passes, I watch as Pokemon boo, insult, curse, and even spit at him. Not even they can deter his impassive temperament.

"Everyone!" shouts Dusknoir as he stands before the dimensional hole, "Today, I would like to share excellent news with you! Finally, Grovyle, the despicable outlaw you see before you now, has been captured!" The crowd cheers madly. The tempo of my heart speeds up. "This was all made possible by your selfless support and cooperation. I can't thank you enough! The capture of this vicious and wicked Pokemon should mean lasting peace for your time and our world."

Hearing this part of Dusknoir's speech, Grovyle's demeanor drastically changes. His eyes widening, he attempts to twist out of the ropes that bind his arms to his torso and tries to shake the gag off. His muffled words fall on deaf ears. It is this final action that pushes me over the edge.

"But I must also deliver a sad piece of news," the ghost-type goes on, ignoring Grovyle while the Sableye hold him still, "It is time for me to return to the future. I must now bid you all farewell. I entrust the Magnezone's men and all of the members of Wigglytuff's Guild shall keep the peace. I shall never forget the kindness and noble nature of the friends I've made here. If there is a time, in the distant future, that I should meet any you, I pray that we'll find that same companionship and be able to tell of our tales in this present day." He looks over to the Sableye, "Let us depart."

Just before Grovyle can be brutishly shoved into the dimensional hole first, I let out my cry of panic that I've been holding back for what seems like an eternity, screaming as loud as I possibly can in fear of being drowned out, "No! Wait! Stop!"

I run to the front of the crowd with little regard to who I shove out of my way. It can't happen like this! A part of me won't let it. "_Lira!_" Ri hisses quietly as I pass him, trying to stop me, "What are you _doing?_"

It's too late now. I've already made it and every eye is on me. Swallowing hard, I speak my mind for the first time, "Please! Just listen! Just hear me out! Just…. Please…"

Everyone is dead silent, looking at me with looks that match the turmoil and confusion I feel within. The Guildmaster looks at Magnezone, then Dusknoir, before giving me a single nod that I return in gratitude.

"I know what Grovyle has done is unforgivable. I know that all of you are furious of his actions. However, he is still a person just the same as you and I. And I believe both halves of this story need to be told so we can fully understand. Yet here he is, gagged like some feral monster. Doesn't he deserve a chance to speak for himself? To defend his actions?"

"You don't need to talk about things you don't know!"

"That Riolu is crazy!"

"Step down, kid!"

All of the crowd's negative energy falls upon me. I remain defiant, refusing to budge, but I can't shout over them all or get them to calm down. A Sableye grabs my arm, preparing to lead me away himself. From the sidelines, Grovyle watches me with such intensity and surprise I feel myself quiver under his piercing gaze.

"Everyone SHUT UP! Let her speak!" To my joy, Ri comes to my aid, stepping forward to stand along beside me, "This crazy girl," he adds, "happens to be my friend, and I've never once found it in her to say something without good reason! I've trusted her with my life and I'll always trust her decisions. All she's asking for is for you to be quiet and lend an ear."

This settles them back down. Ri's out of character outburst has put them all back in place. He would never talk out of bounds unless he felt it was important.

I smile at him and shrug the Sableye away. "Citizens of Treasure Town, my fellow apprentices, my friends… All of you call Grovyle a criminal and all of you would be correct. However, in your anger, none of you are thinking clearly. You've all asked yourselves the same question; who could be so horrible, corrupted, and dark-hearted as to steal the Time Gears and destroy life as we know it?

"The truth is, I don't see anyone capable of doing such a thing. I doubt any of you do either. So why would Grovyle do it? He would have nothing to gain from the planet's paralysis," I turned to look at him in the eyes, searching for the answers that I seek, "and the world would have fallen into despair, not just for all of us, but for him as well. Why would he condemn us to that kind of life if he also condemned himself?"

I grin when I find I'm reaching through to them, getting them to think rationally. "Also, I can't imagine a criminal who would be willing to cause the destruction of time capable of any ounce of mercy. Yet he showed it to Uxie, he showed it to Mesprit, and he showed it to me. He battled us, yes, but we wouldn't let him take the Time Gears without a fight. When he won though, he never harmed any of us fatally and instead told us to stay out of the way."

"He nearly did Ri in!" Loudred shouts. People start to mutter in agreement, eying the bandage till fastened around Ri's neck. "And he would've killed Azelf."

"You think I don't know that?" I practically growl, cutting him off, "I care more about Ri than any other person in this world. You don't believe that that has plagued my mind for _days?_" He doesn't answer and looks away. "On that day, Grovyle gave me a choice: To stand down and let him have Azelf or allow him to kill Ri before attacking me. Obviously, you all know my choice. I wonder though, did he feel this was his only option? Could this have been a scare tactic to frighten a girl into submission, already terrified for her friend's life?

"He attacked us because we stood in his way. He was going to eliminate Ri and Azelf because he felt we had given him no other choice. I'm certain of this."

"How can you be so sure?" someone voices.

"I can't," I reply, "Not entirely. That is why I say we let him speak for himself."

People look to each other, unsure. Taking this chance, Dusknoir flies over to me. I hide back a grin when I think I see him glower a little. Keeping his voice and tone level, he tells me, "Young one, your compassion and pleas for sympathy and understanding to even the lowest of Pokemon warms my heart and no doubt the others of this town, but see reason. Grovyle has committed foul deeds not just here, but in his and my own time. He's had his chances to turn himself in and ask for forgiveness, but has always refused them."

Shocking myself, I narrow my eyes at him, "And what would those deeds be, Dusknoir? You still never told us."

Gasping in both pain and surprise, I find myself lifted off of my feet and grabbed by my neck, "Why don't I show you?" Dusknoir hisses. Ri, pounding at him and shouting for him to let me go, is also grabbed. "You two are coming with me!" In an instant, we're flung, screaming, into the dimensional hole.


	21. Ensnared by Secrets

When I open my eyes, entering a semi-conscious state, I feel myself being dragged by one arm on a rough, gravelly terrain. I'm too weak to move or even turn my head around to see who's got me. Sharp pebbles threaten to cut through the skin and pierce my back. Glancing sideways, I spot Ri, still comatose, caught under similar circumstances. My head falls to my chest as once again everything fades to an endless black…

…The next thing I register is how bitterly cold it is. My fur bristles from the frigid air. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the darkness encompassing me. _How long was I out? Where am I?_ I take in my deplorable surroundings.

I'm in an icy, dismal, stone cell, who knows how far beneath the surface. Thick steel bars trap me inside and chains bind my ankles together. My eyes follow it to where it hooks to the wall behind me. What am I even doing here?

Wait a minute… Where's Ri?

Crawling to the bars, I start shouting for him, hoping he's in a nearby cell and can hear me. All I can hear is my one words repeated back to me in a faint cry. I slump forward in worry and fatigue. _Ri,_ I think, as if I could send a message to him through time and space, _where are you? _

I've attracted unwanted attention, alerting my captors that I'm awake. Wicked, baritone laughter fills the air, and from behind me, Dusknoir appears, fading through the floor. Baring my teeth in fury, I demand, "Why did you take us here? Why are we being kept prisoner?"

"All in due time, Lira," he replies, chiding me like a humored parent. His true nature has finally been revealed, "All in due time." Suddenly, he swings his arm at me, striking me back hard enough to send me sprawling on the other side of the cell. I push myself up and jerk my head back at him, growling. "You wanted to find out who you were and here you are. Soon, all your questions shall be answered."

"Where's Ri? What did you do to him?"

"Don't fret, you shall see your little friend soon enough. That is," he casts me a sideways glance, "At the execution."

"Execution? We haven't done anything wrong!"

He violates my personal space, gripping my wrist tightly and brushing aside a loose strand of hair, "Tell you what? What if I were to let you in on a little secret of mine?" his voice lowers to a sibilant whisper, "What if I were to tell you that you were from this time? From the future. Just like Grovyle and I."

Shaking back my shock, my mind refusing to believe him, I glower at him and ask, "And what if I was? What could I have possibly done for you to want to kill me?"

He sighs, "You really can't remember a thing? Can you? How unfortunate; it would've made all of this so much more enjoyable," as the only answer to my question, he says, "Don't take any of this personally, but those who wish to change the course of history, must be _removed_ from history."

"Then why didn't you try to get rid of me sooner?" I snarl, "You had plenty enough chances."

"Please, Lira, do you really think I would've earned the loyalty of those in Treasure Town if you were to suddenly wind up dead, your body found lying in the forest where you typically trained, or dragged through the Guild compound by either myself or the Sableye? Of course, I could've always pretended to know nothing about your trip to the Amp Plains, or have stayed in the shadows and let Grovyle finish you off," he chortles, "Now _that_ would have been something splendid to witness. But then I wouldn't have gained near as much respect or assistance as I did, now would I? Nor would I have earned the satisfaction of seeing you and Ri cheer on Grovyle's capture," he glared at me, "Only _you_ didn't. _You _had the wherewithal to stand up for him."

Just before he leaves the cell, I vex, "Ri trusted you! _We_ trusted you!"

"And that was your mistake! You've always been such a naïve, foolish little creature, Lira, even when you were human. You trust so very easily," he fades through the bars and smirks from the other side, "and your innocence is the cause of your demise."

Standing, I reach within and then launch a decent-sized Aura Sphere at him and the bars, only to watch it evaporate in a miniscule burst of light on contact. Dusknoir laughs, "That was a very good try, my dear, but these bars are strong enough to hold back an enraged Onix," he gives one of them a tap and it makes a solid sound, "It would take a substantial amount of energy to create an Aura Sphere powerful enough to break through them, and by then you'd be too weakened to escape from the guards. Face it, young one; you're finished."

I stare hatefully at his back as he goes. If looks could kill, he'd have been vaporized. However, once he out of sight, I sit down on the ground, pulling my knees up to my chest and burying my face from view. How did everything lead up to this? How could I have prevented it? What's worse, if I really am from this time, than it's all my fault that Ri's going down with me.

Ri doesn't deserve to be here; he should be back home with the Guild. But he had to have the bad luck of being kind enough to take me in as both a partner and a friend.

Angry with Dusknoir and myself, I kick the bars, "You can't keep me here!" And if I can't escape all of this, then I'll make certain that Ri can. I'll take that promise to my dying breath.

I feel a dizzy spell coming on. Oh, what now?!

_I see a Lucario bound the exact say why as I currently am. Beaten and bruised as he is, he keeps on hitting the bars, his eyes glowing a magnificent blue. He doesn't seem to tire or weaken, striking the metal in a frenzy of punches, kicks, swings from using Bone Rush, and Aura Sphere blasts. When a few Sableye appear on the other side, taunting him, it only ticks him off even more, fueling him._

"_Give it up, Lucario, and accept the facts," I hear Dusknoir say from somewhere within the prison halls, "Those bars are impenetrable. It would take a miracle for you to get through them."_

_And so a miracle came. The Lucario, with a mighty cry, launched the densest and strongest Aura Sphere I've ever seen. It would be something of a miracle as well if I ever managed to make one of my own like that. The Sableye fall flat on the earth, covering their heads as the Aura Sphere soars right through the bars as if they were no more than wisps of air, zips over their heads, and slams into the far rock wall on the other end._

_Not wasting a moment, the Lucario charges out of the cell, heading toward freedom. Dusknoir and his Sableye goons chase after him in seconds. He presses on, saving all of his remaining energy on running. It is at the moment when he nears the exit that they catch him, dragging his thrashing form away._

_Another vision appears right after, in a time that must be in the long future after this. The Lucario that had so much fight in him before leans against the wall, sitting in a corner. The light has all but died in his eyes and he nears starvation. His head snaps up when he hears the cell door open. Dusknoir strides in with two Sableye following. Seeing him, Lucario makes a stand, but the Sableye each swiftly hold him back by his arms. A weak growl sounds from his throat and his gaze pierces through Dusknoir._

"_And to think I came all the way down here to bring you a treat," Dusknoir says mockingly, tossing a small sack of spoiled food on the floor, "I admit, I'm stunned to find that there's still so much fight in you. Haven't you given up all hope by now? It's obvious to us all that your friends are never coming for you. You're only deluding yourself."_

_Lucario responds with stern silence, his fists tightly clenched at his sides._

"_So much faith in one so pathetic." _

_Dusknoir turns to go, the Sableye following, but Lucario's voice stops him in his tracks, "They'll defeat you someday. And they'll return this world to peace."_

"_Such a lovely thought."_

I open my eyes to find myself lying on the floor, tears dripping down my cheeks. Sitting back up, I rub them away viciously.

I refuse to let any of Dusknoir's thugs see me in such a state.

….

After many hours of solitude, the Sableye finally come for me. I'm blindfolded and cuffed before I'm led out of the cell. Four Sableye, one in front and behind me, the other two gripping my arms hard enough to bruise, guide me to an unknown destination. I don't even bother asking where I'm being taken.

When we do stop, two more pairs of hands hold me down. I'm gruffly shoved against a curved pillar, only able to know this due to its width and the grooves designed all around it. The cuffs are removed and in a flash replaced with a thick cord of rope that wraps around my torso and trusses me to the pillar.

"Why are you doing this?" a voice beside me shouts, "What's happening?"

"Ri!" I shout upon recognition, having mixed feelings of relief and fear to find that he's here with me.

My blindfold is removed first, then his. Ri is tied tightly to a pillar just like I am. Blinking, he looks over at me, "Lira, I'm glad to see you! You're ok, right?" He struggles to free himself from his bonds. "Well, I guess this answers my question."

Someone groans on the other side of me, "I can't believe you understand what's happening. Then again, I suppose you can afford to be nonchalant about all of this." I look over to the side to see Grovyle bond in the same way as us. "You two, do you even have any inkling about where you are?"

"N-no…" Ri gulps.

Without any pity or self-mourning, he replies, "This is the stockade. They intend to get rid of us for good."

"Get rid of us?!" Ri yells, "I mean, it's easy to understand why they would want to get rid of you, Grovyle," I shoot Ri a look, silently telling him to shut up, but he doesn't see it, "But why us?"

Grovyle scowls at him, "Humph. I could care less, but whatever it is, you must've done something that they can't tolerate."

"We're nothing like you! We haven't done anything wrong!"

"You're wasting time losing your cool. And meanwhile," he nods forward, "here they come."

Two more Sableye join the other four, followed by Dusknoir. "Get ready," he commands them as they surround us.

"Dusknoir, what are you doing?" Ri asks, "What's wrong with you?!"

Dusknoir flies over to each of us, hovering by Ri in mock concern, "I truly am sorry for this. Especially to you, Ri, but I do have my orders." He then heads over to me, grabbing me from under the chin and forcing me to face the grass-type, "And poor, little Lira. Lost without any memory of whom she really was, her only friend still breathing clueless of how to find her… Even when she stood right before his eyes."

Grovyle snarls at Dusknoir, "Why not leave the child alone and allow her at least die in peace, you brute?"

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't, not without filling in all of the pieces for you, Grovyle." Gripping me to the point of pain, he tilts my head to allow Grovyle a good, long look. "Aren't you going to say hello to your human companion? Well, _former_ human, anyway."

Grovyle's expression turns saddened and shocked for just a moment before he shakes it off, "Impossible. I saw her myself vanish through time. There's no way anyone, human or Pokemon, could've survived. I won't be baited by your mind games, Dusknoir."

"For a change, I speak the truth. Think of it; a human turned Pokemon named Lira, with the Dimensional Scream ability, found on beach without a clue of anything that happened prior in her life. Doesn't it seem like a perfect match? All I had to do was fit all of the clues together. It was elegantly simple, really."

That would explain why I'm here and why Dusknoir hates me. Why I've been so afraid of him all of this time. "I see why you've captured me now, but what of Ri? If it's just me and Grovyle you want than fine, but let him go. He's done nothing! He's innocent!"

"Correction: You mean he's done nothing _yet_."

"You're punishing him for something that hasn't even happened?"

"I find it all very poetic," he replies. "Grovyle, if you can't recognize Lira, than surely you at least remember Ri. After all, you're the one who went searching for him so many years ago."

Ri and I look over to Grovyle for an explanation. He frowns, but concedes, "I only knew Ri after he had evolved into a Lucario. He was… You _would've_ been a good friend of mine."

"And," Dusknoir adds, turning me to face Ri this time, "you were his loyal apprentice."

"What?"

"How else do you think you were able to control your aura?" Dusknoir laughs, "Now _this_ is just perfect! Such a happy reunion; the gang's all back together again!"

"Why you son of a-!"

"Don't waste your breath," Grovyle mutters beside me, "Instead…shhh… Keep your voices down so they can't hear you. If you want to get away, you'll have to give me your full cooperation."

"Help you, Grovyle?" Ri hisses, clearly none to found of the idea.

"There's no time to think… Or would you prefer to stick around for them?"

Ri relents as Dusknoir turns his attention away from me and to the Sableye, "Take them out!" He then backs away, waiting, watching.

"Listen carefully," Grovyle continues in a quiet, rushed voice, "Sableye use their claws to strike. There must just be one open avenue for escape. When the Sableye unleash their Fury Swipes in a frenzy… That's our chance. The ropes should come loose when their attacks hit us and therefore the ropes binding us. When that happens, lash out an attack then run!"

"But what if they don't cut the ropes?" Ri questions, worried, "Or if they don't use Fury Swipes at all?"

"If that happens… Don't even think about it." Yet sure enough, the Sableye use Fury Swipe. I bite my lip, planting my cheek against the pillar, as their claws rake at my skin constantly. Ri cries out in agony. "E-e… Endure it!" Grovyle shouts. I begin to see a break in the rope, but hold my attack back waiting for it to loosen some more. If I could just free my legs, than I could kick off with enough force to barrel straight at them. "Now!"

I bound off the pillar, tackling two Sableye to the ground. Grovyle and Ri take the other four. Before I can give either of them one good, punch in the face. Grovyle removes something clasped to his waist and tosses it to the earth where it shatters. Light explodes around us and I can't see a thing! Someone grabs me from behind and I feel myself fall a short drop. I cough as dust and dirt fly into my mouth before it all blankets us.

The Sableye cry out as Dusknoir tries to get a hold on the situation above, "Compose ourselves! It's only a Luminous Orb!" There's a pause as things go back to normal, "Blast it! That Grovyle! He fled using the flash from the orb as cover! They won't get away with this! Come!"

We hear them leave, waiting a while longer. When he deems it safe, Grovyle pushes away the dirt and breaks us free. Ri looks at him, "You can use Dig?"

Grovyle ignores him, "We got out of that scrape, but we're not out of the woods yet. We need to get out of here! Fast!"

We hurry as quickly as we can to the exit, only stopping when I find our bag hanging from a hook on the wall to retrieve it.


	22. A Secret Shared is a Trust Formed

We finally make it, panting as we exit the prison and take off into the nearby forest, toward a rocky valley. Grovyle yells at us when we lose pace with him, but Ri and I can't help it. We find ourselves staring at the disaster that is the world. There's no sunlight. No wind. No sound. Boulders stay suspended in midair and dead plants cover the rocky soil. Almost everything is a bleak, doleful gray.

"This forms a natural alcove. It should shield us from view. We're safe… for now."

When we finally stop to rest, I look to Grovyle sadly, "Is… is this our future?"

He gives a solemn nod, "Yes. Here, time has forever stopped."

"But how?" Ri asks, "The Time Gears were saved. How could all of this happen?"

"You idiot!" Grovyle growls, "Had I been able to retrieve the Time Gears as planned, none of this would've happened!"

"Don't yell at him," I order, trying my best to keep calm as well, "Look, the best thing you can do is to start explaining. We don't have a clue what's going on around here or how exactly we're involved!"

"And you'll stay that way!" he shouts, "I'm going back through time, and _you're_ going to stay out of this and go home! After a quick rest, we need to get moving again."

Ri stares at him coldly, "We only cooperated with you because we had no other choice, but we didn't promise we'd go with you afterward. You're not worth trusting!"

"Oh, so _I'm_ the bad guy, and _Dusknoir's_ the good guy? Then how about explaining his actions earlier? It wasn't just me, they wanted you gone too!"

As Grovyle and Ri argue back and forth, I look out to the horizon and see a very familiar shape. At first, I'm frightened, and then I take a closer look. "The Groudon statue?" I mutter, confused. I step in between the pair, cutting them both off as they look at me oddly, "…Are we near Fogbound Lake?"

"Yes, well, what was _once_ Fogbound Lake," Grovyle answers, "Now it's nothing more than a deserted cove."

I stare at the statue from this distance. Looking around it, what I once mistook for trees set off afar are really the waterfalls, frozen in time. The statue itself is nearly in ruin.

"_Where are you?"_ a little girl's voice calls out. Only it's much too real now. I swerve around, searching for where it originated from. Ri and Grovyle stare at me, concerned. The call repeats itself, louder this time.

All of a sudden, I find myself running at top speed toward the noise. "Lira, wait!" Ri shouts, taking off after me.

Grovyle follows, but doesn't seem happy about it. "You're friend is very foolish," he tells Ri.

I plunge through the brush, breaking off parts from plants that will never grow again. Off and on, I hear the girl cry out or scream. I hear her ragged breathing just as if it my own. I can see her now, racing away from her pursuers. I step where she had stepped. Move where she had moved, ignoring my companions calls for me to return. It's not long before I outrun them.

_There's laughter, horrible, wicked laughter. I'm running as fast as I can go. Dead branches snag my tattered clothes and I trip over nearly every tiny pebble. My bare feet ache and I'm so very tired. But I don't stop. I can still hear them coming! They're getting closer! Hurry! _

I find that I'm reliving the very nightmares that have tormented me for the past months. Within minutes, I come to the exact same, and this time very real, rock ledge, a crevice cut through the middle, almost a little too small for me to fit in now.

Weakly, I fall to my knees, staring blankly at the stones before me.

"Lira…" They've caught up with me now. They'll be angry that I took off like that, but I suppose they're too tired to try to pull me away right at this moment.

I know it'll only hurt, in more ways than one, but I have to. Reaching out a shaky hand, I touch the stone, feeling it leech the heat from my limb.

And I remember…

_The eternal darkness that surrounded the planet had come long before she was born. She never knew the sun. Or flowers. Or a summer breeze. It wasn't the same as in days of old. Humans and Pokemon remained very distant, unless it was key to their survival. For example, some Pokemon could grow crops- a blessed ability once the food started running out. The humans offered protection. The Pokemon offered food._

_The girl was little more than four years old when it happened. She had been searching for wild thistle at the time. Her parents were found dead in their hut in the small, isolated village. Yet nothing had been taken, a mystery that was never solved or even bothered to be brought to light. She was their only child. She had no aunts or uncles and the other villagers didn't want another mouth to feed._

_Less than a week later, everything had been decided. A man, made the leader of their village, and his twenty-three year old son took the girl away to the woods far from home or any other form of civilization. For what small, shrivel of compassion that remained in their hearts, they let the girl pack a few belongings from the hut before everything else was divided amongst the other villagers. In her tiny bag, the girl had brought a little cloth doll, a notebook and pencil, and a book of fairytales. The only food she had was what she had brought for lunch on what she believed would be a short journey._

_The men got busy, pretending to search for edible plants in the brush. The eldest ordered her off to collect firewood._

_But when the girl returned, pleased with her successful scavenging, both of them were gone._

"_Mr. Ratchet?" she called out timidly, her fear steadily increasing at the thought of being left behind in this strange place. Her hand brushed against a nearby tree, "Tommy? …Where are you?" She looked about for the men she had unwittingly entrusted with her life and still did._

_Something rustled from above, up in the tree tops. A small branch broke and fell not far from her. She gasped and dropped the collection of sticks she had gathered in her frail arms. Backing further into the clearing's center, she gazed around for the cause of the noise. "Tommy? Is that you? I don't like this game; I'm scared!"_

_And then the laughter came. Spinning around on one heel, she screamed upon facing a large group of Sableye that had begun to surround her from behind. Pokemon had always scared her and her parents had always told her to be careful around them, even the ones that helped grow crops in the village. If agitated, they were known to attack. The girl had even seen one boy a bit older than her get his hand chomped off by one._

_In an instant, she ran as fast as she could to get away, her bag swinging from around her shoulder and neck, slapping her leg on the opposite side. The Sableye went after her in hot pursuit, snickering at the girl's pitiful attempts at flight. She strained with effort to get away, beads of sweat collecting on her forehead. Twigs and spikes nipped at her legs like sharp teeth, encouraging her to move faster._

_Louder and louder, the laughter grew. The Sableye would be upon her at any moment._

_The first thing she came to when entering a second clearing was the huge Groudon statue that loomed high above her. Screaming, she veered off to the left, twisting her ankle in the process, only to fall into one of the natural pools of water. It was like trying to swim through mud as she scrabbled to get back on dry land, choking. _

_The Sableye make it to the clearing, seeing her in an instant through the clashing shades of gray. They smile, thinking they've finally got her. _

_That laughter, that horrible, wicked laughter! She started running as fast as she could go. Dead branches snagged her tattered clothes and she tripped over nearly every tiny pebble. Her bare feet ached and she was so very tired. But she didn't stop. She could still hear them coming! They were getting closer! Hurry!_

_She saw a large crack in a rock ledge up ahead. If she could just reach it, just squeeze through it… There!_

_Crawling as far as she could go in her tiny space, she watched in terror as clawed hands reach out for her, trying to pull her back out. The girl thought, who are they, why do they want me, are they going to kill me, eat me? Hot tears dripped down hollow cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what happened, cradling her doll to her chest._

_There was a brief moment when there was nothing. Not a sound. Then a hand reached inside her hiding place, gripping her shoulder. When she pushed it away, it grabbed her hair and pulled. _

_She screamed, toppling out of the crevice and dropping the doll._

_When the hand let go of her, she lay facing the broken earth, crying. Looking up, she gasped to find that the Sableye had all been knocked out, and were sprawled across the ground in groaning heaps. Something shuffled along the stones. Slowly, she turned around and looked behind her._

"_N-no… No!" she cried fearfully, scooting back with one hand away from the figure towering above her and using the other to partially shield herself if necessary. The Pokemon standing in front of her, rigid and tense from the recent fight, stared down at her feeble position on the ground as the leaves on his arms stopped glowing and returned to normal. She began to tremble; if this Pokemon was capable of taking out so many of the Sableye at once, who knew what he was capable of doing to her. _

_The Pokemon reached a hand out toward her and knelt down on one knee. The girl, terrified, squeezed her eyes shut once more._

_A pair of arms enveloped her in a hug, holding her close, but not too tightly to feel uncomfortable, "Gro," said the Pokemon as she blinked her eyes open, as if trying to soothe her, "Grovyle." _

_She was very still for a long time. Then her lower lip began to quiver as the pain in her ankle became too much. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she began to bawl, letting everything out and wrapping her arms around his neck. Grovyle ran a hand over her hair and down her back in a gentle caress…_

"Lira, come on," Ri urges. Grovyle leans against a tree, rolling his eyes.

I shake my head, trembling just as I had so long ago. Crawling forward, I reach within the crevice, feeling around until I pull out a worn, filthy doll. Tears start to form and very soon I find myself racked with sobs, weeping in happiness for this discovery. Weeping for the life I had lost. Weeping for the family and friends I had lost.

"It was here…" I whisper sorrowfully, "It all happened here. I- I was chased by the Sableye, and hid in here," I point to the break in the rock, "…and you…" looking back, I turn to Grovyle who watches me with wide eyes, "Grovyle… you came and saved me… We were always together after that? Right?"

"Oh my gosh," Grovyle shakes his head slowly, staring at me, equally as moved, "… It really is you, isn't it, Lira? I never told anyone how we met and you knew very few other Pokemon besides myself." He comes over and falls to his knees beside me, "You're alive… By Palkia, you're alive… but how… how did this happen? Look at you!" He looks into my eyes before wrapping his arms around me, laughing and looking like he's about to break down and cry as well. "Even after everything, after what I saw… I couldn't believe that what Dusknoir said was true. I didn't believe that you were the _same_ Lira!"

As if all of this was the key, I begin to see other visions- no, other memories, of all the moments we shared together….


	23. Look to the Past, Remember the Future

"_Where are we going?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. Because of my ankle, Grovyle had lifted me up and carried me piggy-back. I didn't know what possessed him to help me, but I was too young at the time to think of anything beyond the fact that he cared and was a friend to me. _

_Although I wasn't actually able to know what he was saying word for word, I could understand the jest of what he meant, even at a young age. It would still be many years before I grasped the language of Pokemon._

_He told me something in his tongue and nodded ahead. We had a while, but wherever we were going was just a little further. There was no way to identify time's passage, because time didn't pass at all. People grew up and passed on, but there were no birthdays. People worked and slept at random, having no sun or moon to tell them when was when. _

_Eventually, we came to a halt in front of a group of large shrubs. Setting me down carefully, as if holding a piece of glass, Grovyle then gave a good look around to make sure no one spotted us. Satisfied with his examination, he ducked down into the bushes, gesturing for me to follow. Grovyle was taller than me at the time, but I still crawled through the opening and tunnel hidden behind the shrubs, wanting to leave as much pressure on my injured ankle as possible._

_I was dark. Even darker than outside, which was surprising. I heard him shuffle around and then the strike a few stones together, creating sparks until he had a small fire going, illuminating everything._

_My jaw dropped as I looked around. We were in a cave that he had made his home. Grovyle was a grass-type, so I would've suspected him to live in the forest. Later, I would find how clever it had been of him to choose that place instead, where no one would expect him to be._

_Grovyle had me sit down as I continued my inspection. There wasn't much. A large pile of wood for fires set off to the side. A small, roughly built table in the chamber's center. A shelved dresser placed along the far wall. He went over to that dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a ball of gauze before taking a bottle off of one of the shelves. He also took an Oran Berry from one of the bowls set atop another shelf. _

_Pouring some type of strong-scented ointment into one hand, he took my foot with the other and checked the damage. He slathered the goop onto the swollen area and gave me the Oran Berry. Curious, I sniffed it, and then took a petite bite as Grovyle began wrapping my ankle with the gauze._

_I stuck out my tongue and crinkled my nose at the taste. Seeing this, Grovyle chucked, grinning, but motioned at the Oran Berry and then to me. I frowned down at it._

_It was medicine._

_Despite this, I shoveled it in, swallowing it quickly so the taste wouldn't continue to linger in my mouth. I poked at the vile of ointment, tracing a finger along its design. When Grovyle was finished bandaging my ankle, he left to return everything back to their regular places. He had already turned around when my head started to ache. I put one hand on it as the room began to spin._

_The feeling went away soon after. I watched as Grovyle set the bottle on the shelf, too close to the edge. "That's gonna fall," I exclaimed knowingly, standing._

_Grovyle gave me a look that said sarcastically, 'sure it is', and moved toward the table. His tail struck the side of the dresser and it shook. The vile of ointment then slipped right off._

_I was already there in time and it fell into the palms of my hands instead of crashing to the floor. "I got it!" I hollered triumphantly, beaming, "I told you so!" Grovyle blinked at me, his mouth slightly agape, before recovering his previous demeanor. I looked up, turning my attention back to the shelves, concentrating with all the intensity a four year old can. Holding the vile high above me, I stood on my tiptoes and stretched._

_I still couldn't reach._

_Puffing, I started to jump up with one leg, determined to get the vile back on the shelf. Always,__** always**__, I almost made it, but I was too small. I scowled up at the dresser, considering if climbing it would be a good idea._

"_Gro?" I looked beside me to see Grovyle holding out his hand for the bottle, smirking. Giving up, I handed it over to him and he put it back, much farther than before, however._

_When it was time to sleep, I took out my book of fairytales and hobbled over to Grovyle, who was already settling down for a fitful rest. It was an old book, passed down from a grandmother I never knew. It had become tradition in my short life to plead for my parents to tell me one of the stories within those pages before going to bed, but since he was a Pokemon, I had a different idea. "I can read. Want me to read to you?" _

_I had seemed to have caught him off-guard. He finally nodded and, plopping down beside him, I opened the book to the first page to the story of Snow White and the Seven Geodude. Mostly, I just read the story from memory or by the pictures, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed too enthralled in the pictures themselves to notice. His hand would often roam across them, analyzing them to remember every last detail from the pastel flowers to the fluffy clouds. What has once been a reality instead of drawings for a children's fantasy._

_Fatigue took over me and I yawned softly. Grovyle took the book from my limp hands and set it off to the side for right then. I curled up in his lap, completely content and happy with the world for the first time. Staring at the dying embers, I found myself falling into a peaceful slumber._

…

_I'm certain I was six, about to turn seven, when I met who would be a mortal enemy for the first time. Grovyle had taught me much within those first couple years, particularly in the art of theft. It was a fun game, I often had thought, to sneak behind the Sableye when they weren't looking and nab a few goodies, just enough worth taking without them noticing the loss. They didn't scare me as much as they had before. In fact, at times they seemed hysterical. I rarely ever got caught, and when I did, Grovyle was there to watch out for me._

_It wasn't that we were bad, but since most of the Sableye had allied themselves with Primal Dialga, the self-made ruler of that despicable world, they often had more of everything than everyone else. All of Primal Dialga's goons did and often took advantage of their higher status._

_We were just evening things up a little._

_It had been one such raid when my bag had gotten caught on a dead sapling limb. I had been running from the scene, absolutely giddy with how easily it had gone, and I didn't notice. A few stolen apples had fallen out of the bag as the branch was snapped off. The Sableye, who had been guarding a large cart full of fruit, stopped in an instant and spotted me. I pulled out my handmade slingshot and sent a Stun Seed flying into the mouth of one during mid-laugh while Grovyle jumped down from the trees above to help me face the rest of them. Pulling out one of our precious Luminous Orbs- one of our favorite get away tricks- I flung it on the ground with a shout of wanting to my comrade, shielding my eyes from the glare and reclaiming the fallen items with enough time to flee alongside him._

_We had hit the jackpot that day, with enough food to last us a little while and some left over to help a few of the other Pokemon. By that age, I had very little interaction with other humans. As far as I was concerned, I may have been a member of the same species, but I was never truly one of them. They were as foreign and terrifying to me as the wild woods beyond their territories were for them. Humans had brought me into this world, but they had also abandoned me. _

_I believe that there were even times when I forgot that I was a human at all. Sometimes I was a Treecko, other times I might be a Pichu, a Jigglypuff, or a Piplup. My reflection told one story, my heart told another._

_When we were certain they were off our trail, Grovyle and I stopped for a quick rest in the trees. I usually needed some help getting up there, but sometimes I could scale them on my own. I took out a pair of apples and handed one over to him to snack on. We hadn't had anything to eat yet at all that day. _

_We had just started chowing down when Grovyle froze and looked off in the distance. He sometimes acted that way, mostly when it wasn't necessary, so I had continued munching on my apple without worry of being attacked by a crazed Pokemon. That is, until Grovyle grabbed me and hid me in the thickness of the leaves, some ways higher in our tree. _

_He motioned for me to keep quiet and I nodded, for fear of what might be out there. Not all Pokemon, whether or not they worked for Primal Dialga, were kind. I hadn't yet forgotten about the time we had been ambushed by a pack of Houndoom. And if I did, I still had the burns to remind me._

_However, when I saw a Pokemon who I'd never seen in the forest before, I peered through the leaves to get a better look. The Pokemon in question was obviously a ghost-type, and he seemed very large and intimidating, but very alone as well. For all his strength, it seemed that he had no one to turn to. Could he have been an outcast like I once was, lost within a new region?_

_Grovyle had jumped from tree to tree somewhere else nearby, probably to get a closer look at the new Pokemon. Not listening to his guidance- for a change- I carefully crept down the branches and ducked behind the trunk, watching. The ghost-type almost passed me before I decided to come out._

_I tried tapping him from behind, only for my hand to fade right though. Still, I accomplished my goal of getting his attention. He had spun around quickly, as if feeling someone was about to attack him. Gazing downward at me, he reared back in confusion and maybe shock. I smiled reassuringly at him, holding up a third apple for him to have._

"_Hi!" I greeted cheerfully._

_He looked at me a moment longer, then suddenly the mouth-like pattern on his stomach began to open up, revealing a black pit within. I stared at it, curious if that was how he ate. A swirling, dark violet orb began to form inside. I stepped back, every instinct telling me that this was very wrong and that I should get away from him. _

"_Dusk…" the Pokemon began as the orb seemed to move back within his body, "…noir!" I screamed and fell to the ground, covering my head as the orb was launched straight at me. What exactly had I done to set him off?_

_After a few seconds, I found that I was still breathing and very thankful for it. I wondered for a moment how I was about to survive such an attack until I spotted the blue bubble of rippling light that encased me, protecting me from any harm. It fades away as quickly as it appears. When this happens, Dusknoir prepares his next attack._

_In one swoop, Grovyle hopped down from his perch above and yanked me up in his arms, taking off in an instant and leaving a startled Dusknoir in the dust. While he ran, he gave me a stern look. 'I told you to stay put!'_

"_Sorry…" I muttered._

…

_We had left our home in the cave soon after that, packing as much as we could. It was different, travelling around, but I quickly grew accustomed to it. Grovyle and I both had enjoyed sleeping up in the trees rather than on the cold ground. He didn't explain to me where we were headed. I never asked. Did it actually matter where we went?_

_The forest I had spent two years in become a memory as we travelled on foot through seemingly endless fields, forests, mountains, and coasts. We didn't trust the paths, worried that the Sableye would catch us easier on them, so we had to take the long way. I loved the adventure of seeing new lands. My eyes glinted in delight with each new terrain and challenge. If time still flowed, I wondered, would they be as beautiful as shown in fairytales?_

Yes, and even more so.

_There came one time when Grovyle went off alone and had me stay hidden in a secret grove. He didn't come back for what seemed to be forever, what would've been days were there any. He had me worried sick. When he did return, he told me to pack our things immediately and set off again without any hint as to where he had been._

_It was a much shorter journey later when he finally told me that we were making a permanent stop. I had looked around, bewildered. The area was nothing compared to our shrouded, yet familiar and sweet forest. There were fewer trees, for starters. The land was mainly roaming hills and plains of tall, dead grasses that stayed upright, unmoving. I didn't see the importance of coming there._

_Grovyle walked a little further away from me, shouting something to the wind. I watched both our backs, worried that a hidden enemy might come out and attack and wondering what he was doing. It was only then that I heard a kind, strong voice, speaking in a language I hadn't heard in a long time._

"_Ri?" the stranger chuckled from nowhere, "I haven't been called by that name in a long time… Not since before the planet's paralysis and my evolution. Who sent you?"_

"_I see… Then let me have a look at her." Obviously, by 'her', I knew that they were talking about me. Shyly, I ducked behind Grovyle. After that incident with Dusknoir, I didn't know what to think of meeting new people, especially if they were human._

_Only the stranger wasn't a human; he was a Lucario. With a steady grace, he approached us. Grovyle gave me a kind smile, telling me that I had nothing to fear. When I continued to cower behind him, the Lucario grinned and got down on one knee, leveling with me. "Hello, little one. There's no need to be frightened; I'm a friend," he then looked up to Grovyle, "You were right to keep her away from Dusknoir and bring her here. I sense the aura within her, powerful and untamed. It's unlike anything I've seen before, certainly not in any humans."_

_Getting bold, I asked, "Excuse me… how are you talking?"_

_He gaze fell back on me. The sparkle in his eyes melted away my fear and I took a small step toward him. "I'm a telepath," he answered, "Do you know what that is?" I shook my head no. "A telepath can speak to others through their minds. That's how I'm able to talk to you just as easily as I can speak to Grovyle."_

_I nodded in understanding, biting the knuckle of one of my fingers. He placed a hand on my shoulder, calming my rattled nerves. "You have a very special gift, little one; A gift that very few others outside of my race can use. Your friend brought you here so that I could teach you to use it."_

_I think hard, wondering what he's talking about. Working on a hunch, I tilt my head to the side, "Do you mean the blue glowing stuff?"_

_He laughs at my description of it, "Yes, only that 'blue glowing stuff' is something called aura. It's an energy that binds all life and flows strongly through a few lucky beings such as you and I. We few have the ability to see the aura and control it. Would you like to see?"_

_I nodded enthusiastically, excited. The older version of Ri got up and backed away, his eyes sealed shut. In an instant, a bone staff made of aura appeared in his hands as if by magic. I squealed in delight and watched in amazement as he expertly spun it around in a dance of sorts, bending it to his will._

_Very soon, I began my training as an Aura Guardian, learning to master the power of aura under Ri's tutelage._

_Ri admitted once to us both that he had never intended to be an Aura Guardian and instead as a child dreamed of becoming an explorer. That dream soon came crashing down when the planet's paralysis first began. He had been forced to live on his own, but he found an inner source of strength and had decided to put his abilities to good use, helping fellow Pokemon in need. He led the small resistance fraction against Primal Dialga and his corrupt followers, and had had quite a few run-ins with Dialga's top agent, Dusknoir, himself._

_His studies in preparation to become an explorer had left him knowledgeable and wise about the world. And his studies didn't end when time had come to a standstill either. He had long for hoped to maybe, just maybe, restore the world to its days life, light, and beauty. _

_He even knew about a power unknown to both Grovyle and I; the Dimensional Scream. And it was he who helped me to control it so I wouldn't weaken or remain momentarily stunned when it was used._

…

_It was years later that our plan was finally put into action. I had already grown taller than Grovyle and rivaled Lucario in height. I had become a strong-hearted, fiery, and stubborn thirteen year old girl. _

_We had split up. The Time Gears, having remained untouched and become nothing but legend, were still in their regions, and Ri knew how to find each and every one of them. We didn't even have to worry about setting off traps or alerting guardians of our presence due to time being frozen. Grovyle and I searched for the Time Gears in Treeshroud Forest and the Northern Desert. Meanwhile, Lucario was to get the ones from Crystal Lake and Limestone Cavern. It had been horrifying, seeing Mesprit frozen in time, having no idea what would happen to her before it was too late. Grovyle had led me past the still body both times, retrieving the Time Gear and leaving, trying to block my view of it as much as possible. We had all planned on going for the last one at Fogbound Lake together, since the danger of being caught there was extremely high._

_But we never made it to Fogbound Lake. Grovyle and I had returned to where we had first met Ri and he was already there, waiting for us._

_So were our enemies. Dusknoir and his Sableye thugs found and ambushed us. It had been a vicious fight, but in the end we were overwhelmed and the Time Gears were forever lost, destroyed in the battle by Dusknoir's Dark Pulse._

_Hope had fleeted fast after that. We were exhausted and the Sableye were careful not to allow us a chance at retreat. They wanted me especially, for my ability to use the Dimensional Scream. It was then that Ri did the bravest- and the dumbest- thing I've ever seen._

_He sacrificed himself for us, allowing the Sableye to take him prisoner while we ran to freedom. And in his final moments, he gave me one last order as his apprentice._

"_Go! Find Celebi! You have to stop any of this from happening!" _

_Grovyle had tried to get me out of my depression, but it was useless. I had cried and screamed for who knows how long. Nightmares haunted me every time I closed my eyes; the battle repeated itself in my mind, I saw Ri suffer, tortured constantly, I witnessed my parents die in various gruesome ways, and Dusknoir fold a way inside my head, his laughter bouncing around in my skull. In my sorrow, I cursed Ri for doing something so stupid! _

_For three years, three long years, Grovyle and I dedicated our lives to the books and ancient scripts that Ri had left behind, discovering everything we could in preparation for our travel through time. And we couldn't just go back to before Ri's capture; no, we needed to go back far enough in the past so Dusknoir would never find us or even know we existed._

_Of course, that would mean going back before any of us were born._

_Our mission; find the Time Gears, retrieve them, and place them in Temporal Tower. That would stabilize the flow of time and prevent all of this. There would be light and life again. There would be a sun and running water. Pokemon would be freed from their paralysis._

_And Ri would know a world of peace and happiness._


	24. Consequences

_((__**Author's Note**__: I've been wondering if anyone would be interested if I took this story- after I had finished with it- and rewrote it in different points of views of some of the other main characters, specifically Grovyle, but maybe also Ri or even Dusknoir. In Grovyle's case, more would be unveiled and a little more detailed about his and Lira's past and it would include the Special Episode that's on the game. However, I'm not certain if I'd take the story as far as would on here, because- SPOILER ALERT- this will go all the way to where the heroes face Darkrai and even a little after that._

_So… Thoughts? _

_**Review Replies:**_

_**To SDP:**__ Thank you for so much support in this fanfiction. I'm glad you're okay with the changes being made. I wanted to make it where I wasn't just repeating everything that had happened in the game so people who had played it before could enjoy it a little better. And I also really like the Aura Guardians in the Pokemon Universe, so I wanted to play with that a bit._

_**To TheHuntressofstories:**__ I'm glad you like it too! Thanks for the follow!)) _

"This is supposed to be yours," Grovyle said, handing me a notebook completely filled with all I had learned about the Time Gears and even some notes from when I was taught to use aura. He closed back the flap to his own satchel, having gotten it back from the Sableye as well. How I wish I had time to go over those pages one by one, but Dusknoir and his minions could be upon us at any second.

Ri and Grovyle have been staring at me for a while now, wondering what I will say or do. But I don't know what to do. Even with most of my memory now restored, there are still many blank spots that don't make any sense.

"You know, I did have hope that you were still out there, somewhere…" Grovyle says, "You have and always will be a survivor, Lira. I had hoped that you were somewhere in the past, fulfilling our mission, but now…" he sighed, "It'll take everything we've got to make it. It had been difficult enough fleeing from the Sableye the first time. Fighting through them again will prove even more challenging."

Ri places a hand on my shoulder, gripping it comfortingly. I know he must've seen everything I've just witnessed myself. As Riolu, we can transmit our emotions and memories to each other. He smiles sadly, "It looks like it was always meant to be; us as a team. But I'm not that Lucario that you know in this time. I'm young and I'm afraid. I'm sorry to you both, that I'm not the leader you looked to." He spins me around to face him, "But you're a leader Lira, and I'll follow you wherever."

So, they're waiting for me to decide or next move. But why me? Grovyle had to watch over me as a young child and so did Ri… so _will_ Ri. I was never a hero or even a role-model. I was just a little kid that needed to be looked after.

"We have to get back to past," I say. That's our only option. Ri needs to go back to his own time and Grovyle and I need to find the Time Gears. I won't ask that he join us, he's already in enough trouble as it is. I won't tell him now, but as soon as we're back in the past, I'm sending him into hiding whether he wants to or not. "We've still got a job to do."

They nod. Grovyle stands and begins leading the way, "If we want to return to your time, Ri, than we need to find Celebi."

"Celebi?" he asks.

"Celebi is a time-travelling Pokemon. She's the one who helped Lira and I go to the past before. Of course, for helping us and wanting to change history as well, she is also likely to be wanted by Dusknoir and the Sableye. There could be a chance that she's been captured. If we want to find her, we better hurry."

…

We've been running for quite a while to make up for lost time. I think we're crossing through what would be the mountains near Craggy Coast, because the trees of Fogbound Forest have slowly given way to rock. Ri and I find ourselves able to keep up with Grovyle now, driven by our need to get back home and restore order before it's too late.

"We've gone quite deep. It can't be much farther now, but the Sableye will be coming. If we can just get through here, we'll reach Dusk Forest," Grovyle explains, "We must make haste. There's not much time."

It isn't long after he says this though that he makes us stop. His eyes shift around nervously. Ri and I reach out with our senses to see if there's a hidden enemy, but it's pretty much pointless. If only I knew half the stuff I had been taught, then it'd be so much easier. I'm pretty much going to have to relearn everything.

"Stay here," he orders, "I'm going to scout on ahead."

"Do you think the Sableye are near?" Ri asks.

"I'm not certain, but I have a bad feeling about this place," he begins heading onward, "I want you to stay hidden behind the rocks until I come back for you."

I take his hand before he can go. He casts me a sidelong glance. "Be careful, Grovyle."

Barely grinning, he nods in response, "You may be a Pokemon on the outside, but you're still the same girl I thought I had lost. You're still my closest friend; that hasn't changed and never will."

Once he's walked away, Ri and I sit down side by side in a small nook in the rocks for cover. "This is a lot to take in," he mumbles, revealing his despair. "First, we get dragged into this horrible future and thrown in jail. Then we find out that Grovyle's a not criminal; he's our ally and your friend from this future. Then we find out that Dusknoir's been deceiving us and he tries to kill us! And after that, I get to see my future self train the human you and later get caught by Dusknoir." He looks down to the ground, "I'm not sure that I know what to believe anymore. All of this seems so unreal, like it's all a dream. And I respected Dusknoir…"

"It's a lot to think about," I agree, pulling the doll out of our bag and staring at it, "I'm glad that I know who I am now, but now I have so many more questions. How did my parents die? What exactly happened during our travel through time to turn me into a Pokemon? Why did Dusknoir want me gone, even before I knew I had the Dimensional Scream ability?"

"Maybe it was a bad idea, teaming up with Grovyle. Maybe we should find Dusknoir. You've said yourself we need to hear both sides of a story to understand."

"Dusknoir _lied_ to us, Ri," I challenge, feeling a little defensive, "Even after we tried helping him, he wanted us dead! Even though you had done nothing and weren't even from this time, he wanted _you_ gone! And he…" I shake my head. Can I really tell him about how Dusknoir had made me feel so scared, alone, and defenseless back in the prison? About how I had to witness him suffer? _And he did kill you… _my mind continues, _he made you feel hopeless, tormented you, and let you die slowly! I'm not letting that happen, Ri, not to you! _

I can still see him, beaten and broken in that cold cell. Before I can begin to shake, I grab hold of Ri's arm and lean my head on his shoulder. Doing so makes me feel a little better, as if I'll be able to drag him back if he does go through with his plan to see Dusknoir. "We can't go back there, Ri. He'll kill us if we do." I hold onto him probably tighter than I need to. "Please promise me that you'll stay with me. You just can't go."

He swipes away a bit of hair that has miraculously managed to flop in front of my face for once, putting it behind my ear. I blink up at him and find I'm really starting to hate having some of the abilities that I do. "You have to tell me what happened," he wraps one arm around my shoulders, "I'm going to keep bugging you about it if you don't. There's already so much we don't know and I'm just as in the middle of it as you and Grovyle are. Leaving me in the dark on any of the details won't help us. Whatever you're afraid of saying, I can handle it." He smirks, "I've handled things well so far, haven't I?"

_You wanted to see Captain Crazy again,_ I secretly remind him in my mind. "…Even if it was something truly horrible?"

"Like I said, I can handle it. And look around us Lira," he gestured to the vast expanse of darkness, "I can't think of anything worse that what we've already been through."

I sigh, wondering what to do. I wonder that, if I tell him what I saw, maybe he'll be able to save himself. But could it also leave him feeling hollow, tossing him deeper into depression and dosing the flame that burns within him?

In mid-thought, a wave of panic washes over me. The appendages along my head lift into a straight, horizontal line and my eyes begin to glow with aura. This wasn't like the Dimensional Scream, but I heard voices all the same.

One of them was Grovyle's.

"_Who's there? Who are you?" Grovyle demands. _

"_You __**dare**__ to anger us?" a deep, robust voice shouts, "We expect you to __**pay**__ for these insults!"_

"_Who are you? Quit hiding and reveal yourself!"_

"_You accuse us of hiding? We do __**not**__ hide! We are here! We are Spiritomb! We show no mercy for those who transgress against us!"_

_Grovyle screams in agony._

The appendages flop back down and my eyes quit glowing as everything goes silent. I pop up from the ground and start running in the direction Grovyle had headed in.

"Lira! Where are you going? Grovyle told us to stay here!"

"Grovyle's in trouble! I can sense it!"

Without further question, Ri chases on after me. Any obstacle we come across is quickly lunged over or broken through. Within a short amount of time, we come across Grovyle, lying on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain. "What happened to him?" Ri exclaims in a combination of shock and horror. An electric field of purple sparks surrounds his form. "Grovyle! Are you alright?"

"You two… stay back!" he manages to get out, "An enemy lurks nearby!"

"What? Where?" we approach him anyway, worried. I begin to pull out an Oran Berry from our bag, looking around for his assailant.

"It's right… beside you!"

"Right next to me?" Ri looks around, then down to the earth. A small, peculiar stone with a face-like pattern lies at his feet. Our panic turns to bewilderment. "You mean this rock?"

We both jump back in surprise when said rock begins to quiver and laugh, "All those who trespass upon this land… None shall be forgiven! _None!_ Not least of all… _you!_"

"Who are you?" Ri exclaims.

"You ask that of us? Our name is Spiritomb! We are the manifestation of a fusion of spirits; one hundred and eight of them!" The rock begins to glow a sickly purple and green before a cloudy mist, seeps from the pattern, forming a horrifying face.

"Be careful!" warns Grovyle, unable to get up, "That Pokemon is strong!"

Spiritomb begins to laugh again, "Prepare for your punishment!"

"Why do we always, _always,_ have to fight against types that we're weakest against?!" I shout irritably, "Why not a Bug-type? Or even a Rock-type?!"

Ri smirks over at me, "Oh, sure, that's the first thing that you think about. Go ahead and completely ignore the fact that it's a _talking rock_ with over a hundred souls trapped inside it."

Spiritomb, angered by our lack of fear and teasing, uses Ominous Wind. Ri and I tumble a short distance away before latching onto each other and the earth for support. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly as dust spurs from the ground, collected by the swirling, spinning air currents.

Taking advantage of the intense winds, he uses Nasty Plot to boost his special attack before ramming into us. We're knocked back near where Grovyle lies. He cracks an eye open and hoarsely speaks to me through his pain, "Lira, try using your Styler to get Spiritomb on our side for a little while, long enough to make him see reason."

"My Styler?" I question. I had long forgotten about the device I had brought with me to the past. Another memory flashes back to me.

_I must've been nine. We'd been hearing about how Pokemon that typically roamed the area were disappearing, particularly Grass-types. Many found this strange, because other than myself, there were no known humans living within the region. Most of the human settlements were scattered farther south. _

_I was still fairly early in my training, and had been focusing mainly on the defensive uses and techniques of aura. Ri was busy working with me and organizing an attack against some of the Sableye who had gotten too close for comfort near the locality where many of the resistance Pokemon stayed in hiding. That left Grovyle to try to find out what was going on. It was the first time we had been separated for a mission. When Grovyle didn't come back, we knew something was extremely wrong. No one could catch Grovyle._

_Ri and I had gone after him the moment after the Sableye were taken care of, along with a few other resistance members. Imagine our surprise when we saw a man walking casually through the nearby hills, a Styler strapped to his wrist._

_But Pokemon Rangers no longer existed. _

_Going the way he came from, we found the man's campsite. Cages were strewn about, and inside them were the missing Grass-types, ranging anywhere from Roselia to Bulbasaur. Ri quickly came up with a plan; I would try to distract the man if he came back while he and the others freed their fellow Pokemon. _

_I went back into the forest and followed the trees, searching for him. However, he found me first- or rather Grovyle had. Grovyle, from a higher perch, had tackled me from behind and we both collapsed to the earth below. The man had made Grovyle let me go and I quickly understood that my friend was under his control. Coming up with a lie fast, I told the man that I had gotten lost while a group I was in had been scavenging._

_The control over him did nothing to erase the past from Grovyle's mind, so he tried to tell his temporary 'master' otherwise, but he didn't listen to what he thought was only gibberish. A glint of greed and malice had shown in the man's eyes, and I wondered if he had intended on trying to capture me like he had the Pokemon. He started leading me back to his camp, so I pretended to have hurt my ankle from the drop to slow us down._

_The entire trip back had been nerve-racking. I had tried to talk to Grovyle without the other human overhearing, but even when I got the chance it was like he didn't hear me. Finally, when we were too close to the camp, I created a small barrier out of aura to prevent us from going any further and launched a small Aura Sphere- not even the size of a baseball- at the man's back, dropping my act._

_Grovyle reacted instantly, wrapping his arms around mine to hold me from behind. I struggled in his hold, trying to remind him that he was my best friend. The man got back up from the ground and punched me once in the stomach. _

_By then, the others had made it safely out of the campsite and Ri had gone searching for me. Forcing Grovyle to let me go, he used his aura to protect himself against the Styler's effects, then shot a strong Aura Sphere of his own out toward our enemy. _

_When the fight had been won and we got Grovyle back to normal, Ri had given me the Styler to look after and use wisely in order to defend myself and ensure that no other villainous Pokemon or human would have access to it. I had sworn to use it only when necessary._

Oops.

"I must have lost it when we went to the past," I say, disappointed in myself. I hate lying to him, but I don't want to think of how he'd respond to, 'Oh, I threw it off a cliff.'

He sends me a look that hints that he knows I've just fibbed, but he lets it drop. "Then it looks like you two… will have to fight your way out of this one."


	25. Defining Darkness

_((__**Review Replies**__**: **_

_**SDP**__**: **__Thanks, and also thank you for helping spread the word about this fanfiction. I don't want to spoil anything further, but it'll be mainly a moment to show off one of Lira's main attributes._

_**TheHuntressofstories: **__That would be great, I love hearing from other people about my stories! Thank you! _

_By the way, I've posted this on Quizzaz, because I'm also putting the fanfiction on there, but I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on here yet: I'm also trying to work on a comic for this fanfiction on DeviantArt. It's not much- I'm drawing it by hand and I don't have very high quality or a large variety of markers- but I've got two pages done so far if either of you would like to check it out.)) _

Spiritomb strengthens the power of his Ominous Wind. The air whips at us from all sides, not only causing damage, but also blinding us with dust. Minuscule pieces of stone bite into our flesh when they hit. I try to squint in the whirlpool of rock particles we're caught in, only to get some of it in my eyes. Ri and I both reach out with our limited use of aura, trying to get a bead on where our opponent will strike from next.

It wasn't that we were weak against his attacks, but we didn't take minimal damage either, not against all of them. And no only that, Spiritomb was both a Dark _and_ Ghost-type Pokemon, leaving him with no weaknesses and making Normal and Fighting-type attacks useless against him. That left us with little to no options for defeating him.

Ri uses Bone Rush and charges forward to meet him head on as Spiritomb makes another go to fling himself at us, blocking his attack. I speed around to his left side and remove a Blast Seed from our bag. It'll cause more damage than most of our moves, but with Ri at such close range to him, I'm worried that he'll get caught in the small, but fiery explosion. "Ri! Dodge!" I shout in warning.

Seeing, or rather sensing me, across the battlefield, Ri lunges away and covers his head. Without further hesitation, I throw the seed, tossing it at the ground directly in front of Spiritomb. It goes off with a loud bang upon the sudden impact, tearing rock from the ground. Spiritomb snarls and an unearthly shout of rage erupts from him.

Suddenly, he's headed my way, bounding towards me as he prepares to use Sucker Punch. I get struck in the chest and fly back a bit. I feel some of my energy drained away as he absorbs it like some parasite. Thankfully, it's not much, being a Dark-type move, but it's enough to feel it leaving my body.

"Copycat!" Ri yells from the other side.

We begin glowing, only a much darker color than when we were using Copycat for a Psychic-type move. In a split second in my mind, I examine the process of using Sucker Punch, detail by detail. Ri and I jump and take him on from two different angles.

It'll hurt him a lot more than it did us.

I feel my strength return somewhat as we both successfully land the blow. Getting up, Spiritomb uses Ominous Wind again. This time, we're blown right off our feet and sent flying. When we land, we hit the ground hard.

This isn't going to work; the air currents are too strong. If things keep up at this rate, then we'll be caught in them again- either trapped by the rocks, unable to move unless we want go soaring, or spiraling in them as we try to make an attack.

"It's no use!" shouts Spiritomb, laughing triumphantly, "You're finished!"

An idea comes to me. "Ri!" I whisper, "Think you can distract him for a bit?" He nods. "Good; I've got a plan. Get him boasting while I go in for a clear shot." He doesn't question it and rolls behind a nearby boulder for cover. Once he starts talking, diverting Spiritomb's attention away from me, I start creeping away.

Ri barks a hearty laugh, "Ha! Is that all you got?" I grin, admiring how he well fakes it and ignores the dirt blowing into his mouth.

In response, the Ominous Wind grows stronger, "Pest!" he begins, "You underestimate our power!"

He keeps down, not wanting to get caught in the currents. Spiritomb can't see this through the storm he created. "Oh, please! I've met Kakuna tougher than you!"

"Foolish child," Spiritomb growls as the wind threatens to rip us away. He uses Scary Face to try to terrify him, "We are Spiritomb! We are all powerful! Those who stand before us shall crumble and fall at our hands! We-"

I shut him up by sending an X-Eye Seed bulleting into his mouth. It lodges in his throat a moment before he's forced to choke it down. I hurry back over to Ri, hoping it worked.

The air currents die as quickly as they appeared; leaving a sudden stillness that was typical in this future. Spiritomb looks around, his eyes wide, as the seed takes effect and I grin in success. An X-Eye Seed caused hallucinations, and now that Spiritomb had used Scary Face, there was just one more thing to take care of.

"Ri," I say, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him, "You have to work with me here; we have to use Copycat again." His looks at me, and then over to Spiritomb, with fear. Scary Face still has an effect on _him. _"Ri! _Snap_ out of it! We need to be brave or Spiritomb will beat us. I'm right here with you, ok? You don't need to be afraid."

Ri shakes his head and blinks at me for a moment, frozen, then his gaze hardens and he nods. "Right, Lira," He begins to glow as he prepares to use Copycat, "Together!" I smile at him and follow suit.

We unleash Scary Face, giving the move twice the power. Combined with the X-Eye Seed, who knows what horrors will be brought to life for Spiritomb. He starts screaming, jerking around wildly as his worst nightmares become real. We must've become monsters in his eyes, for when he sees us he all but faints.

It won't actually do anything to him, but I use Aura Sphere for good measure, launching it right at him. Spiritomb panics as the ball of blue energy becomes something more to him. He swiftly dodges and takes off, retreating from the scene in haste and returning to rock form, sealing himself back in his keystone. The strange, sickly violet light that surrounded Grovyle fades. Grovyle groans as he tries to stand.

"Grovyle!" shouts Ri. I retrieve the Oran Berry than had been dropped during the fight. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I'll be fine…" he answers. I kneel next to him and hand over the berry.

"Can you get up?" I ask.

"Somehow… Urk!" he manages to get into a sitting position and starts nibbling at it, "That Pokemon… He was cunning. He went up my nose and took control of my body."

"Was that Pokemon a criminal?" Ri questioned.

"No; that's not true. That Spiritomb was probably just upset over us trespassing in his space. He was frightening… because he became so angry that he lost control of himself. However, you saw what happened when the situation turned sour- He fled. Spiritomb's normally a timid Pokemon.

"There are many such Pokemon here in your future. They are Pokemon who should be good, but they have become bitter and twisted because of this world's perpetual darkness."

"They've been corrupted…" I confer, looking at the ground sadly.

"I still don't understand," Ri admits, "How could all of this have happened?"

"We can't talk here," Grovyle gets up and begins leading the way, "That fight should've drawn a lot of attention. The Sableye could be upon us at any moment. Follow me."

…

Grovyle leads us away to another large nook in the rocks. "Good. This will do." When I look around some of the walls don't seem to have been formed naturally. Perhaps this had been a sort of base for resistance members? "Those Sableye won't be able to spot us easily here."

"Grovyle, tell us," Ri starts, "Why did the planet's paralysis take place?"

"That dates back to your time." He sits down, leaning against one wall, "In the world of the past. The planet's paralysis began with the collapse of Temporal Tower, which was governed by Dialga, the legendary Pokemon who controls time. He ensured the proper flow of time from Temporal Tower.

"But when Temporal Tower collapsed…" he shook his head, "Time gradually got out of control. And eventually, the planet fell into paralysis."

"And what happened to Dialga?"

"When time went out of whack, Dialga also lost control. Now, here in your future, the planet has become completely paralyzed. And thus Dialga has lost almost all of his reason and is governed by darkness. He is beyond recognition, an entirely different entity… Yes… He has been transformed into Primal Dialga, a primordial presence."

We remain silent, waiting for him to explain further. As he speaks, bit by bit, more and more information and understanding returns to me. I can see Primal Dialga now- a horrifying, twisted, and evil being.

"Primal Dialga feels no emotion. He seeks only self-preservation, so he prevents history from changing. That's why Dialga wants me…" he looks over at me, "_us _gone, because we tried to change history. Because we tried to stop the planet's paralysis. Because we traveled back in time to your world from this place… Your future."

"That's the exact opposite of what Dusknoir told us…" Ri mutters gloomily, looking away. Speaking a little more boldly, he glares at Grovyle, "Then what about the Time Gears? Why did you take them?"

"I was collecting the Time Gears because they are needed to _prevent_ the planet's paralysis!" he barks back.

Ri falls back into silence. I place a hand on his arm, "He's right, Ri. We've seen it ourselves from my memories…"

"I needed to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower and put them in place," Grovyle continues, a little more calmly, "That would have reversed the collapse of Temporal Tower, which was fully under way in your time. While it is true that removing a Time Gear from a specific place causes time to stop in that region, it's only temporary. After the Time Gears are put into Temporal Tower, time would be fully restored everywhere.

"When Primal Dialga learned of this plan, he sent his top agent after us; Dusknoir. It's hard for you to believe, I know…"

"I respected Dusknoir," Ri interrupts, "It's just hard to see him like that… I don't know what to believe anymore."

It's not that and Ri knows it. He knows the truth, but he doesn't want to accept it… And knowing the truth only makes Dusknoir's betrayal cut deeper.

He starts to stand and I latch onto him. When he looks at me, I command with my eyes, _Remember your promise. You said you wouldn't go._

Grovyle watches us and says, "It's times like this, when things are tough, that you have to be strong."

Ri remains very quiet. We're about to get up to go, thinking that's all we need to talk about, but then he asks, "…What about me? You said I was a friend of yours, Grovyle, and I saw myself- my older self- through Lira. How do I fit in with all of this? If I wasn't even brave enough to join the Guild without Lira, then I don't see how I got involved in all of this…"

Grovyle looks away in thought, as if wondering where to begin, "You didn't tell me that much and Lira was asleep when you did eventually explain yourself to me," he looks Ri right in the eyes, "From what you had explained, you once, or rather would've, worked under Dusknoir as a grunt to slowly worked your way up rank.

"There was one incident, however, that changed all of that. It was on the day you evolved… From what you told me, there was a family of Pachirisu. The father, it was rumored, had been in association with the already somewhat settled resistance- although its members were extremely few at the time.

"You were sent out with a small group of Sableye to confirm the identity. When it had been, you were ordered to leave no one and nothing remaining of their home; nothing. Even the children, you were told, were to be rid of.

"But you couldn't do it. And you defeated the Sableye instead. Afterwards, you found a home with the resistance, and soon became one of its top members, a leader, a hero," he looks down sadly, "a martyr…"

Ri stares at him, hopelessly lost and bewildered, "…I die…" he manages to get out. Grovyle nods at him. "It was Dusknoir, wasn't it?" He looks over at me and I avoid his gaze, "That why you didn't want to tell me and insisted I stay..."

"I couldn't tell you that…" I say softly, "Not after everything that's happened already…"

"That was another one of the reasons we returned to the past," Grovyle breaks in, seeing the tension between us, "Lira and I believed that, if we had been able to change the fate of the future, we might also have been able to save you as well. And it is also why it's so important that you don't interfere with our mission.

"You're a friend to us both, Ri. And although you aren't the Lucario I know, you will be someday. I think it's already been agreed that we don't want to see you hurt or worse."

"Then what about that time at Crystal Lake?" he argues half-heartedly, "You seemed pretty intent on getting rid of me then."

"I'm sorry, but it was like Lira said," he nods my way, "It was a scare tactic. At first, I admit, I was stunned to see you- you had never told me that you had taken on a partner in your past- but I decided to shake it off and use it to my advantage. It was obvious that you two were close, and the loyalty of Riolu was renowned for being practically unshakable, with only the bitterest of betrayal capable of deterring it.

"I intended to use Lira's loyalty to you to get to Azelf and then the Time Gear without further trouble. When she did the unexpected, and therefore made my plan A fail, I was going to draw a little blood to show I meant business before simply knocking you out. However, that's when Dusknoir showed up, and when he grabbed me, he jerked my arm in the process, making the cut larger than I had meant it to be. I'm sorry."

"You did what you thought you had to," I butt in, "It may not have been the best choice, but it was what you could come up with at the moment… Why didn't you tell anyone the truth about why you needed the Time Gears?"

He sighed and smirked, "You asked me the exact same thing before we went to the past; 'Why not tell the truth'? Lira, who would've believed me? Our story already seemed impossible at best."

"It worked for Dusknoir," I smirk back, "Even though it wasn't the whole truth. We have to have more faith in others, and if they didn't believe you, then fine, you could've still taken them out. Nothing would've been lost for explaining ourselves, but at least everyone else would've had an idea why, even if it had all seemed false."

He smiled, "And I'll tell you the exact same thing I said when you had told me something similar to that: Just look at your book, figure out some of the mysteries to getting the Time Gears, and let me deal with the Guardians and other Pokemon."


	26. Girl Power

"Celebi!" Grovyle shouts as we near the heights of Dusk Forest, "Hello? Celebi, it's me!"

"Is this where she is supposed to be?" Ri asks, looking around.

"That's right. It was around here that I met her last time, but if Primal Dialga knows this place, she will have fled from here. However, if this place isn't known to our pursuers then she should still be here," he starts shouting to the trees again, scanning the area, "Celebi! It's me! Grovyle! If you're near, reveal yourself!"

"What if she's been captured by Primal Dialga?" Ri bursts out suddenly.

"Captured?" a happy, bubbly voice pipes from nowhere. Grovyle smiles fondly, but Ri and I look around for the voice, "Tee-hee! Don't worry, you weren't imagining it! Me? Captured? How insulting! Captured?! Impossible, that's for sure, tee-hee!"

Directly in front of Grovyle, a Pokemon appears. The Celebi before us is shiny, meaning she's a different and unique color than other of her kind. Rather than the peaceful tempo of greens, she's a nice blend of pinks. "It's been too long, my dear Grovyle!" she chirps.

"Yes, it's been a while," he agrees.

"This tiny thing is Celebi?" Ri whispers to me.

"Now that is downright rude!" Celebi says, overhearing him, "How inappropriate! To poke fun at my petite proportions…"

"Sorry…" he scratches the back of his head, blushing, "I heard you have to ability to cross time, so I expected you to be some awe-inspiring Pokemon…"

"How uncouth! Never judge someone by their appearance!" she smiles, beaming, "But… I forgive you! After all, you must find me cuter and more special than you imagined! Tee-hee!"

I hold back a laugh and cover my mouth to hide my smile. Ok, now she's just messing with him to see how far she can take this. His blush grows hotter as he stampers, "Um… yes…"

"Aww, you've always been such a sweetie, Luki!" she flutters over to him and gently pinches his cheek.

It's all I can do not to fall to the earth in a laughing fit. "Luki?"

"Uh-huh! Short for Lucario! That's the nickname I gave older Ri! He didn't like it much, but I just love to tease!" She looks at him and pinches his cheek again, "I don't think little Luki likes it that much either."

"He doesn't…" Ri mutters, "How'd you know who I was?"

"We've met before- or rather will meet, in your case- to come up with a Plan B in case anything happened to our Plan A. Well, it did, and here we are!" She gives me another glance, "Oh! I didn't recognize you at first! Is that you, Lira?"

My mouth drops open and after a second I nod, "So… We've met too, right?"

"Uh-huh! "

"How'd you know it was me? I'm not a human anymore."

"It's the eyes," she answers, floating around me in inspection, "Humans looked pretty much the same to me in the face, but you always had this look in your eyes that made you stand out! Human or not, you've still got that look!"

I turn to Ri, "There's a look?"

"Celebi," Grovyle starts, interrupting the awkward reunion, "I need your help again."

"I know. Seeing you back here, my dear Grovyle, tells me everything I need to know. You're back because you failed your mission in the past, yes?"

"Well… Yes, it's true," he looks away.

She tssks at him softly, "I hope you manage this time. I've had quite enough of this. Living in this dark and dreary world is so depressing."

"Celebi, I'm sorry, but we don't have time to chat. The Sableye are tracking us. If we don't leave soon, we'll have brought trouble to you."

She shrugs him off and laughs, "Tee-hee! It's quite fine. There is no need to be worried. Let the Sableye come; they're no concern to me. Besides, if you would be so kind as to prevent the planet's paralysis, we'll finally be spared the agony of this world of darkness. My dear Grovyle, I devote my whole life to achieve that end!"

"All right… Where's the Passage of Time?"

"It's ready. It's nearby. The Passage of Time should be on the plateau above the forest."

"Can you guide us?"

"Yes! All three of you are taking the Passage of Time, right?" We nod. "Then come on!"

We grin and begin running up to the plateau. "We're going home, Lira!" Ri announces happily to me. I smile at him…

…That is, until he trips me.

"Race you!" he laughs, sticking his tongue out.

"No fair!" I shout back, chasing after him. Not wanting to be beat, I suppose, Celebi and Grovyle join in on the fun. I look back and find Grovyle looking truly happy for the first time, like the sorrow that has weighed him down has been lifted.

No, I've seen that face before, haven't I? As he chased me through the rough terrain of this world and we played together when we got the chance?

"_You're slow!" laughs the little girl to an unknown figure some ways behind her. Suddenly the figure zooms forward, catching her around the waist, lifting her over one shoulder, and taking off; increasing her giggling in the process. _

_The little girl is hungry, and filthy, and sleepy, and beaten in some places, but she's happy. In what would seem to be a desolate wasteland, she's smiling as if she never had a care in the world. Although the air can't brush her face or toy with her hair, she imagines she's flying. What did wind feel like?_

_When the figure puts her back down on her feet, she laughs uncontrollably and wraps her thin arms around it, snuggling close. A hand runs over her tangled mat of hair comfortingly…_

Yes. That was Grovyle and I. I know it.

"Hey Grovyle!" Ri shouts, ahead of us, "What is the Passage of Time?"

'It's a portal that Celebi uses to travel through time; a secret corridor than spans dimensions."

"For short trips, I can travel all by myself," she says proudly, "But for big trips spanning generations, I must use the Passage of Time… I see it!"

"Let's hurry!" Grovyle orders.

Celebi flies closer to where I'm running. "Grovyle is so impatient and hasty," she sighs, "I know that he wants to hurry, but I do wish he'd slow down a little… It would make me happier if he did, I want to spend as much time as I can with him…"

She sees my mischievous smirk and her eyes widen to near perfect circles, "Uh… Oh! That's not how I meant it! Not at all! I don't have any special feeling for him or anything, ha ha!"

I giggle, "It's fine, Celebi. Your secret's safe with me. Girls got to stick together, right?"

"Yeah!" she agrees hastily in relief, "I guess so! And even if you did tell Grovyle that… I guess I could just tell Ri you've got feelings for him! Tee-hee!"

"W-what?!" my face flushes, "No I don't! By all law, he's- what- how many years older than me? And let's not even go to how I'm actually supposed to be human! And, plus, he's not my type; he's so immature, and-"

"Don't worry!" she cuts me off, "Your secrets safe with me!"

…Me? Like _Ri_?! _A Pokemon?!_

"Lira, honey, face it," Celebi continues as if reading my thoughts, "You got it bad. And I mean, like _me_, bad! Tee-hee!"

That's not possible... Right?

"Up ahead… That's it!" Grovyle shouts, interrupting our girl talk. "Celebi! You're the only one who can open the Passage of Time. Get ready to do your thing."

"On it!"

Ri is the first to reach it. He turns around and starts chuckling, "I wi-!" A large, dark orb strikes his chest and sends him sprawling back to us, groaning as he falls in a heap on the ground.

"Ri!" I scream, rushing over to help him up.

"Stop there! That will do!" a loud, familiar voice commands. I snarl in hate as I led Ri a hand. The others stand next to me, getting back to back and scowling at our surroundings.

"That voice! It… It can't be…" Ri begins through gritted teeth.

"Hello to you all. It's been awhile," the voice continues with smooth, yet distasteful charm. Dusknoir appears from his hiding place and strides over to us with poise, "Your scurrying carried you far, but say to say… That's all over now." His Sableye goons start laughing and surround us, creeping from their own positions. I growl at one that gets too close for my liking.

"That's crafty, Dusknoir," says Grovyle with malice, "You allowed us to roam free, but you kept your eye on us the whole time, so you could capture Celebi as well as us. I admit, I didn't see this coming," he gives a quick glance over to our Fairy-type friend before continuing to keep an eye on our opponents, "I'm sorry Celebi. This is all my fault."

She just smiles and winks at him, "Oh? Apologies don't suit your style, my dear Grovyle! And do you honestly think that I can be caught? Tee-hee!"

"Everyone, are you ready to fight?" Grovyle asks as we get closer together, the Sableye closing in around us, "We're going to power our way through! We'll push them aside then dive through the Passage of Time!"

"Right!" we say in unison.

Dusknoir begins to laugh heartily, "Ha! So you'll resist? Spare yourself the effort; You have no chance of succeeding."

Grovyle smirks at him, bringing a fist up, "We won't know if we don't try," he retorts, "Dusknoir! You and me! _Now!_"

The Ghost-type grins evilly, "Grovyle, do you think of me as such a fool that I would come alone?"

"What?!"

"Now, Master Dialga!" Dusknoir shouts, turning around.

Everything turns pitch black and Ri and I gasp. A light flashes before us and we hear a loud roar, even more powerful than Groudon's. Through the darkness, we see a pair of large, crimson eyes glaring right at us in rage. All of a sudden, he's there, standing on top of a small hill near the Passage of Time, towering above us all.

"That's… Primal… Dialga…" Grovyle croaks out. Looking over at him, I see the one thing I don't think even the human me had ever seen before.

Raw fear.

Dusknoir starts laughing again, "What's wrong, Grovyle? Where's your bravado now?"

"Grovyle…?" Celebi looks at him worriedly, her gaze searching.

He looks away from her, squeezing his eyes shut. And then he says the unbelievable. "…This is it for us…"

"Aren't we going to fight?!" Ri exclaims, a bit of panic showing in his eyes. If Grovyle's given up than there's truly a great horror ahead.

"It's hopeless…" he replies sadly, "Dusknoir on his own is one thing… But we don't stand a chance against Dialga. You two have kept up so well… I'm sorry to let you down. This is where it ends."

"But…"

Grovyle steps forward, getting down on his knees and placing his hands behind his head. As his last form of resistance, he looks Dusknoir directly in his eyes, letting out every ounce of hate within him in that single stare, "… I surrender, Dusknoir. Do with me as you will."

Dusknoir grins down at him, "What's the matter Grovyle? It's not like you to give up so easily."

Without explanation, he replies through a scowl, "Yes. I'm giving up…"

"Grovyle…" Celebi starts, tears starting to form in her eyes and her happiness swiftly fading. I look over to Ri to find that even he feels all is lost. Turning my gaze to Primal Dialga, his cold stare blazes down on me with such intensity, I want to run.

I want to… but I won't.

"No," I say with certainty, stepping in front of Grovyle to face Dusknoir. I feel his gaze at my back, but I choose to ignore it.

"No?" Dusknoir chortles, "You can't be serious! Your refusal will only lead to further suffering. _Give up, _Lira! It's over!"

"No!" I scream at him, my voice rising loud enough to shatter glass, "I won't! I'll keep fighting you until my last breath! I'm not letting this nightmare become the future! We're not finished just yet!"

"Lira," Grovyle whispers, "Stand down… It's too late; we failed."

"I'm not losing hope and you shouldn't either!" I chide him, "As long as I live, I intend to restore time… And you're not stopping me!" I launch an Aura Sphere at Dusknoir, but he avoids it and it instead hits two Sableye, knocking them out instantly. "Grovyle, Ri, Celebi! We can't give up!"

Grovyle looks up to me with pity, "You say not to give up? But what can we possibly do in this bleak situation?!"

"We have to think!" Ri says, siding with me, then he smiles, "Celebi, can your time travel ability transport us just the short distance to the Passage of Time?"

"It won't be easy with Dialga here!" she frowns, "Dialga is the Temporal Pokemon… He controls time itself! Even if I can make us travel through time, he'll have no trouble exposing it!"

"It just has to work for an instant!" Ri insists, "Please!"

"Attack!" Dusknoir orders the Sableye once he sees we're forming a plan for escape.

"Time to travel!" Celebi hollers suddenly. We're caught in a beam of light and I shriek in surprise. The next thing I know, we're right next to the Passage of Time and I find myself gripping Ri tightly around the shoulders. "Great idea, Luki!"

Blushing, I let go quickly.

"There they are!" Dusknoir shouts, he and the Sableye still standing in their positions form where they had encircled us.

"Dive in now! You can make it!" yells Celebi, "Now! Into the Passage of Time!"

"What about you, Celebi?" Ri asks with concern.

"Don't fret over me! I told you I can't be caught! Stop the planet's paralysis; Change history!"

"Thank you, Celebi," says Grovyle, giving her a grin and a bow of his head.

"You're not getting away!" Dusknoir snarls.

Before jumping into the Passage of Time, I turn to him, give him a mock salute, and say, "Be seeing you in the _far_ future, Dusknoir!"


	27. Welcome Home

_((__**Review Replies**__**:**_

_**SDP**__**: **__Lol, yeah, I can just picture in my mind Lira making this face O_O as soon as Celebi mentioned telling Ri that. XD It's a subject she'd rather stray from and she knows that Ri would annoy the crap out of her about it if he heard, meanwhile, she's not entirely one-hundred percent sure herself. Epic blackmail, Celebi; well played._

_I was worrying about the past I made for Grovyle and Lira a little, so I'm glad to know someone thinks it's good. I'm actually playing the game while I'm writing this, and one of the things I saw that kind of bugged me was that, they're best friends, but in the game they make it out like the only reason the teamed up in the first place was to cure the planet's paralysis because Grovyle needed to be with her for the Dimensional Scream to work. To me, that's like how you would act around a co-worker you hold some sort of mutual respect for, not someone who's life would give you hope and loss break you. _

_And I didn't want to make Lira this instant hero that appeared overnight, because she is only human- she can't use abilities like Pokemon can, or at least back then she didn't even know she had abilities at all beyond stealing fruit from a cart. And heroes have to start somewhere, they make choices and they make mistakes just like everyone else before becoming who they are in the end. Not only that, but it was a good chance to showcase Grovyle and his heroism as well as how Ri fits in with this whole scheme beyond it being a stroke of luck.)) _

The next thing I know, I'm lying on my back. My eyes are closed shut and I find simple movement tiring. I can't hear anything except for the slapping of waves, the soft whistle of the wind, and the aching groans of my companions.

Wait… Waves? A breeze? Can it be?

I open my eyes to stare up at a blissful, clear sky, just beginning to twinkle with stars as another day nears its end. The sun is low on the horizon and the last light of day casts itself lazily upon the sea. A blend of pinks, oranges, yellows, and purples sing in harmony across the sunset.

We've returned. No more greys. No more despair and hopelessness lost to an endless darkness.

I will never take for granted the life and beauty that surrounds me.

I push myself up, laughing like a giddy toddler, "Grovyle! Ri! We made it! We're home!"

Ri is the next person to wake up. Gripping onto a nearby boulder for support, his lifts himself to his feet, looking around in a daze for a moment, "Huh? Where…" he then turns to me, a light in his eyes, "We're home? Isn't this… where I met you, Lira?" I nod back, smiling. "We're _home_!" Suddenly, he throws himself at me, grabbing my arms and jumping up and down like a hyper, little kid. His happiness and excitement is contagious, for I soon find myself doing the same. "Yes! We made it, Lira! We're home, we're home, _we're home_!"

"Ugh…" Grovyle moans, snapping us back to reality. We rush over to his side instantly. Blinking around, he turns to us and grins, "So we did it…? We made it through, back to this world?"

"Yeah," Ri answers, "This is where I met Lira. Let's see…" He walks over some ways away; about a hundred meters from the beach caves. "I think… Yes; this is where I found Lira out cold, right here."

"So that's what happened," Grovyle says with new enlightenment, "The trip through time sent me to the Eastern Forest, and Lira and I reached your world far from each other, separated by not only distance, but by a few mere days' time."

"There's a lot I don't understand, the concept of time travel being one of them. But I guess this really isn't the place to talk so let's go to Wigglytuff's Guild. Before we went to the future, we trained and roomed there. It should be the perfect place."

Even I know that it's a bad idea. Sharing a quick look with me, he says, "Hold on. Will I be well received if I go to the Guild? After all, I'm a wanted outlaw in this world. If I went to your guild, won't everyone be shocked? More importantly, don't you think they'd try to capture me?"

"And everyone will wonder how we managed to return as well," I add.

Ri looks disappointed for a moment. I understand; it feels like it's been an eternity and he misses everyone. "Come to think of it, you're right…" He enters a short period of thought before turning back to us, "I think I know another good place, but it'll involve going through Treasure Town."

"It shouldn't be a problem if we lie low and sneak through. Lead the way."

It had actually been easier than one would've thought to sneak through town. Mostly, all we needed to do was stick to the tree line and the brush. The main reason it was so easy though was because most of everyone had already returned to their homes for the night. Soon, we reach Sharpedo Bluff. It's named for the Pokemon the side of the cliff face resembles. Ri had explained this to me once while we were training; it's one of our favorite spots.

Ri gestures for us to come over to a large group of bushes a little ways from the edge and disappears in them. Hiding our confusion, Grovyle and I follow, and are surprised by a passageway that leads down into the ground. "Come on, it's down here," Ri calls out, already in the passage.

"I lived here before I joined the Guild," he explains as we go deeper. It grows lighter pretty quickly and soon we find ourselves in a large, hollow chamber that makes up the Shapedo's mouth. A large pile of hay that I think he once used as a bed lies off to the side. A few barrels are stacked in another corner, labeled different preserved foods. There's even a natural spring. This place seems relatively untouched, considering how long Ri and I have lived at the Guild. I head on over to the side of the chamber, taking in the scents of the ocean and gazing out at the marvelous view. "It's not much, but I like it. I'm just glad that no one's wrecked the place; it's proof of how little notice it attracts."

…

Later that night, we sit around a fire, enjoying an especially welcomed meal of fried rice with mixed vegetables and a side of gateau. I know that we're all starving, but we each try to contain ourselves so we can savor it. "All that time on a hunger strike against the Guild and Team Salacious, and you could cook?" I question Ri, taking a satisfying bite of gateau, "What was wrong with you?"

"I didn't think I was that good," Ri replies, shrugging, "Not that you would listen at the time. You were mad at the world."

"Did she give you the silent treatment?" Grovyle asks.

"She gave _everyone_ the silent treatment."

I'm about to retort, but Grovyle cuts my off before I can say anything, "I've dealt with your moods and know how you are well enough to agree with Ri on this one. When you're upset, you have a way of being unreachable and irrational." I stick my tongue out at them both, unable to come up with a comeback. He smiles at me and continues, "I'm still shocked that I've found you again, but it's definitely you. Celebi was right, you know, about your eyes- the gleam in them is unmistakable. And your spirit hasn't changed either."

"Grovyle, can you tell us more about that?" Ri asks.

"Yes. As you know, you, Lira, and I were jointly investigating the planet's paralysis. We relied on her Dimensional Scream to help us discover the clues to solving it; it played a vital part."

"It's helped us a few times," Ri looks at me, "We don't need an explanation there."

"The Dimensional Scream, however, does have a drawback," Grovyle continues explaining, "For it to be used, the user must have a strong trust with people and Pokemon. Without that trust, the ability cannot be triggered."

"Wait," my partner cuts in, "You say the user must have a trust with Pokemon for it to work, but the Dimensional Scream was triggered not long after we met!"

"Your point? Doesn't that show how much you trusted each other from the start?" He's taken aback by this, but the Grass-type continues, "In addition, not only did Lira develop amnesia and you gave her someone to turn to, perhaps the feeling of already having trusted you- at least, as a Lucario in the future- remained within her heart."

I look down to my food and blush, hoping no one notices. _Grovyle,_ I think, _do you really have to make it all sound so sappy?_

Grovyle keeps explaining, getting back to the story, "When the Time Gears in our time were destroyed, and you were captured by Dusknoir, Lira and I had to study and continue your work on our own. Everything we learned is in that book that I gave Lira. And when we were ready, we took the Passage of Time, and it brought us from our world in your future to this world. However…" he goes quiet and looks into the flames of the crackling fire, "We encountered some sort of turbulence while we were traveling through time… Thus we were separated. I don't understand how this would've led to Lira getting amnesia and turning into a Pokemon though. I can only guess that it had something to do with that accident."

That's right, my first memory while I was lying unconscious on the shore…

_Brief moments of light, the wind ripping at me in all directions, the sound of thunder clapping, and… And a voice? Suddenly a hand wraps around my wrist. "Are you okay?... No! Don't let go! Just a little longer… Come on! Hang on!"_

"_I-I can't hold on!" My hand slips free and all I know is falling. My screams echo around me as I plummet into darkness._

_The last thing I hear is a voice yelling my name…_

Things are starting to make more sense, if only just a little. But it all doesn't feel quite real somehow… There's got to be more than none of us have yet figured out- just a few more pieces to this complicated puzzle.

"You have- and always will be- my closest friend, Lira. I was worried about you when we were separated. I'm glad to see you're safe. Your appearance may have changed, and though you have lost your memory, you're still you. And none of this alters the fact that you remain my friend." I look up to see Grovyle staring straight at me… Is that a tear? "I'm glad to see you again."

He shakes it off on the brief silence that follows, "Now. We have to decide on our course of action. I still intend to get the Time Gears, but what will you do? Lira, I understand if you wish to remain with Ri, but it would be good if you could join me in our mission."

"We're both going."

"Ri, no," I say, speaking for the first time. He looks to me in bafflement, "You're staying here. Grovyle and I can handle it on our own."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"I _am_!" my voice begins to slowly rise to a shout, "Think of it this way- if you die, who'll help us in the future?" It a sad excuse, considering the cycle of 'his death and never going back in time or meeting him' would just repeat itself if his death now would mean that. I'm basically hoping he doesn't think about it too hard, "And if Dusknoir and the Sableye track us back here in the past again-"

"Who do you think you are? My mother? I can handle it and you're not leaving me out of the action."

"This isn't a game, Ri!" I stand up, leaving my plate on the floor, "If you're killed, then… then…"

I can't find the words, but I begin to quiver.

Ri stands up and takes my hand, looking into my eyes with absolute certainty and determination. "'We're Team Crusade,'" he quotes from one of our talks from what seems like ages ago, "'we'll stick together, no matter what.' Isn't that what you told me?" I remain silent. "We've come too far together already. And you're not leaving me behind now while you go off on some wild adventure to save the world."

"The three of us were an unstoppable team once," Grovyle adds, "Our struggles have only made us and our bonds to each other that much more powerful." He looks out to the full moon, partially hidden behind the cover of drifting clouds. "The hour is late. We're all exhausted from all the running we've done. We should get some sleep tonight and then we'll leave in the morning.

…

It some hours later, as I rest on the giant hay stack, that a pair of voices awaken me and I discover Ri and Grovyle aren't also asleep at my sides. While my mind tries to gather and piece together information, returning to full awareness, I keep my eyes closed and play off like I'm still out of it, wanting to hear what's being said.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?"

"Yeah… Just thinking."

"Thinking about Dusknoir?"

"No, that's not it. Sure, finding out we were being deceived came as a real shock, but hearing your story earlier, Grovyle…." Ri sighs, "It really drove home. What Dusknoir said was really true, and it made me realize that Lira really did come from the future." His voice lowers to a quieter tone, "I was just mulling over things like that…"

I risk barely opening an eye, looking through my lashes. The fire is nothing more than smoldering embers. Ri and Grovyle have their backs turned to me, looking out to the sea and slowly brightening sky.

"Hey! Look, Grovyle! Sunlight! It's sunrise!" I see it too, in all its majesty… It's so beautiful. I watch Grovyle and his face reminds me of the expression he made when he would look into my book of fairytales when I was little. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes…" he whispers in awe.

"… Is she still asleep?"

"Yes. But I'd hate to wake her, even for this. It's been a hard journey for her- for all of us- and she's had a lot to absorb. Her life, an entire history, she was forced to remember within such a short time. She deserves to rest peacefully, at least for now while she can."

"I just wish she could see this with us. Maybe it's because we were in the future for so long, but I didn't think that a sunrise could ever feel so renewing. The sun rises, then it sets… We take that for granted, and that's only natural, but things we take for granted… They're really the most essential things. And they're precious."

"All I'd ever known is the future's world of darkness. Upon coming to this world… And seeing the sun for the first time… It was staggering. It strengthened my resolve to turn history away from a future of darkness. There is only one thing that I wanted to ask of you, Ri." He stares intently as him, "It's about that time in the future, when we were confronted by Dialga.

"Frankly, we were in a no-win situation. There was no hope. Yet like Lira, when all seemed lost, you refused to give up. Even I had given up. What compelled you? How did you manage to stay so strong?"

"I really don't know…" he begins, looking back out to the water, "But maybe… Maybe it was _because _of Lira, because she stood by me."

Grovyle smirks, "She can have an… effect on people like that. I don't know how or why, but she's always been like that since the day we met." He gaze follows Ri's back to the sun, "You could say, I suppose, that she's always been a light in the darkness. A ray of sun born in a world of despair and pain, casting out all the evils in the world for hope and happiness…"

"Yeah…" Ri takes off his necklace and shows the Relic Fragment attached to Grovyle, "Take a look at this," Grovyle does and he explains further, "It's my personal treasure. I have this dream of one day solving the mystery behind this fragment. But I was such a coward… I couldn't work up the courage to go to the guild and apply as an apprentice. It was then… that I met Lira.

"Lira… She was always there to cheer me up. And she gave me courage. With her… I feel like I can overcome any challenge. I think she's the reason I can keep going without giving up."

I find myself smiling and I have to hide my face in the hay so they won't see that I'm overhearing them. A few tears drip down my cheeks, but they're good tears, happy tears.

"The same way I care for Lira as a friend, you, Ri, also feel that same way about her."

Ri nods in response.

"Lira is… very lucky… To be blessed with a friend like you…" Grovyle turns around and I close my eyes again, having already recovered, "I am lucky as well… having known both of you."

"Don't count yourself out either," he replies, "I saw through her all that you did for her. I think… I think that it was all meant to be. We all needed each other to survive and find strength."

"… You really care for her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"As something more, I mean."

"… Something more?"

Grovyle sighs, "Even if you don't admit it- to me or yourself- you will understand in time." I feel the two crawl back into bed on either side of me, remaining limp. "It's morning already, but we'll rest a little while longer and then set out."

"… Grovyle?" Ri whispers softly.

"Yes?"

"Were Lira and I… close, in the future? As friends, I mean."

I can hear the grin in his voice, "Inseparable."


	28. First Signs of a Standstill

_((__**Review Replies**__**: **_

_**SDP**__**: **__Celebi; the cheerful, fairy, legendary time-travelling Pokemon. Pink and adorable on the outside, a devious little mind within, lol!_

_I'd like to read that, so tell me when you've got it posted. There are some like that on DeviantArt and on here, but most of the time, the good ones re left unfinished and I'm just like "What?! No, no, no, Nooooo!"_

_That's how I am. I didn't even finish the game the first time because after the main story was over it got old and I couldn't beat all of the special episodes. The one with Grovyle was actually the first that I beat, but I'll tell you this- I bawled so much during all of those parts with Grovyle and my character in this game. I'm one of those people that get emotional very easily whenever I fall in love with a character in a story.))_

"First," Grovyle begins as we finish packing our bags for the journey after a quick breakfast of apples, "We have to decide which Time Gear we should target."

"Let's check the map and Lira's book," Ri suggests. He gets out the map while I get the latter and flip through its contents, "From here, the Underground Lake would be the closest, I guess."

"What about Treeshroud Forest?" Grovyle asks, "That was where I got my first Time Gear the last time. It's a little far from here, but there's no one like Uxie guarding it."

"So what is?"

"It says here a series of traps prevent intruders from nearing its location," I say, reading, "How did you manage to bypass them the first time, Grovyle?"

"Simple; I did my best to keep to the walls and not trigger too many," he answers, "Your book helped me a little, but there were some mysteries I couldn't solve on my own, known only to the guardians. It was the same at Limestone Cavern, but there it was a little more difficult given the fact that I was out of my element."

"Seems like a good place to start. People will find out quickly once a Time Gear is stolen, but we'd draw even more attention if we had to fight someone over it," Ri states, "Treeshroud Forest it is then."

…

After a few days travel on foot, careful to avoid any interactions with other Pokemon, we finally make it. The forest is dense; I can hardly see the sky through the thickness of the trees. Plus, it only seems to grow darker the deeper one goes in. Not like night, certainly nothing like during the planet's paralysis, but enough to set an uneasy feeling upon the place.

"That's odd," Grovyle muses.

"What?"

"This place… the atmosphere somehow feels different than before," he shakes his head, "I'm probably just imagining it… Come you two; we need to get going."

Ri and I follow at a brisk pace behind him, keeping an eye on our surroundings and watching each other's back. Grovyle takes to the trees and goes on ahead, ready to scout for some hidden danger from above. We could travel by tree as well, but there's no way we'd be able to match Grovyle's pace that way. "I feel a little unsettled to, Lira," Ri whispers to me, "It could just be nerves, but we should be aware of our instincts. The aura is with us." I nod in agreement.

"Don't lag behind!" Grovyle urges from somewhere above us, "Don't sacrifice your concentration; focus your senses and stay attuned to the slightest of danger."

It is very eerie here, but it isn't until we're a good ways into the forest that I begin to realize why. "Grovyle," I begin, a creeping sensation crawling up my spine, "Despite the Time Gear's presence, wouldn't there still be Pokemon that dwell here?"

"Yes…" he replies, "By now we should have come across at least a few. I see what you're getting at; it's far too quiet and lifeless here."

"G-Grovyle… Lira! Look!" Ri shouts, starting to tremble.

"Will you keep it down-!"

"Just look!" We follow his gaze to where he's pointing and gasp in shock. I grow pale and cold with fear by what I'm seeing. Before us, some ways ahead, a Ninetails, Ralts, and Kirlia stand ahead on a trail of sorts. The Ralts seemed to have tripped over something and the Kirlia is in mid-laugh, smiling cheerfully. Meanwhile, the Ninetails looks behind them in shock, her face in fright.

All of them are frozen, still as statues.

The three of us race over to investigate. This isn't like any move I've ever known a Pokemon to make to cause paralysis. They're not even so much as blinking! Ri begins to waves his hand in front of their faces and tug on their limbs- the Galt even gets knocked over, completing her fall, but it's useless. They won't respond or do anything at all. "What could've done this to them?!"

"I thought we had more time…" Grovyle whispers in dismay. We look to him for an answer, but I already know in my heart what's happening, "Time is at a standstill here!"

"But didn't they…" Ri shakes his head slowly, "Didn't Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf, just before we were dragged into the future with you, make a promise to return the Time Gears to their rightful places? Why is this happening?"

"I just hope I'm wrong about all of this. If I'm wrong, then the Time Gear hasn't been returned here yet, otherwise… Nevermind, but Ri, before you go back to Sharpedo Bluff, I want you to gather some information in Treasure Town. Just remember, everyone thinks you've gone to the future, therefore…"

"I understand; there would be an uproar. I'll keep low and get some news."

"Come on, we still have to be certain on whether or not the Time Gear is here," Grovyle steels ahead with Ri following. I take a last look at the trio of Pokemon, frozen in time, before joining them, hoping this fate isn't permanent. The Galt and Kirlia were lucky; at least in their last moments, they were happy and they didn't see it coming. The Ninetails got the worst of it, facing his end when it was too late to try to run. _It's already begun, hasn't it?_ I question the Tree Gecko with a sorrowful stare.

Intentionally or not, he ignores me, "Lira, the first trap should be up ahead in my memory serves me well. Get out the book and see what you can find out. I can go through the trees, but you and Ri will have trouble."

I do as told, pulling the notebook out from mine and Ri's bag. It's old and has a musky scent; pages full of hastily scribbled scrawl and little tags or bits torn from other books have been tucked within its folds. A cord binds it all together, keeping everything inside. I remove said cord, taking the lead, and begin to shuffle through the vastness of information, looking for anything labeled under 'Treeshroud Forest.'

I can see myself, my old, human self, spending hours and hours among stacks of texts, scrolls, and artifacts. My eyes would be dark underneath from lack of sleep as I translated words and phrases from the dead, secret language of the Unown into the notebook, searching for anything that could help. Grovyle would tap me on the shoulder and motion towards the mats that made our beds as a way of saying that I needed to go on and rest. I'd shrug and lie about not being tired. He'd eventually give in and stay up with me, seeing what he could do to help. If I passed out sometime during our studies, I'd awaken with a blanket slung across my shoulders.

My hand brushes against a particularly aged sheet, stuck between sections, one side of it clearly showing that it had been ripped free from another text. Another memory flashes briefly in my mind's eye.

"_Vyle! Grovyle, Gro!" he whispered sharply from his position next to the thick, wooden door, keeping watch. 'Better hurry! Dusknoir could be back any minute now.' Some of the resistance members were providing a distraction for us to get this information. We could hear the fighting echoing through the halls even from there._

"_I am hurrying, it's just…" I pause in my scavenging through a pile of books in Dusknoir's office, "These are his…" Dusknoir never should have gotten his dirty hands on them, but he somehow managed to ransack some of my mentor's belongings when he captured them. It had been a few months since his capture and even those from the most recent prison-break hadn't heard from him. I didn't even want to think of him having been sent to the stockades._

"_Gro, Vyle." 'I miss him too, but now's not the time.'_

_I shoved as many of Ri's texts as I could fit into a burlap bag and flung it over my shoulder. Before I could follow Grovyle out, however, I caught site of an already opened book from the corner of my eye. Glancing at the pages for a few seconds, enough to deem them worthy of taking, I tear one out and race back outside, showing it to my companion in explanation for my increased delay. _

"Stop," I tell Ri before he can go any further, putting an arm out to block his path.

"What?" he asks, looking around oddly at our surroundings, "The way looks pretty clear to me."

"That's exactly the point," Grovyle says from above, "If the traps weren't well hidden, then they would only allow intruders a chance to figure out a way to bypass them with ease."

"Then how can you tell that there's a trap here?"

"Look," I point to the earth, far back the way we came, my finger creating a trail to somewhere further on ahead, "The ground changes, or at least what covers it. So far, we've been walking on nothing but dirt and grasses. At this time of year, the trees are lush and green, but look at the area just in front of us… Even though the trees are perfectly healthy, there are far too many leaves that have fallen from their branches then there normally would be during this season. Then, as you can see just across the area, the way returns back to normal."

"Ok…" He looks me to explain further. I create a small Aura Sphere with one hand and launch it at the leaf-covered ground in front of us. It sizzles right through the leaves and continues onward, down into a deep pit. We can't even hear the impact of it striking an actual surface until after a few good seconds have passed. Ri whistles, peaking down at the hole I've created, "I don't think I can even see the bottom!" As if by magic, a few more leaves fall from above to cover the hole as if nothing had happened.

"If you fell down there, no one would even have a clue what happened," I take another look around, but find no way to go around. It's too far to jump across and I don't want to risk jumping through the trees in the event that we slip and fall. Grovyle's experienced with it, born for such a feat; Ri and I, however, aren't. I take a look in the book. It's bad- I can't even read half of what I had written. The one, important thing I can manage to make out is _the leaves are the key._

The leaves are the key… What could I have meant by that? There's nothing special or out of the ordinary about them.

Here and there, a few blossom petals from fruit trees litter about in the mix. Now that's odd. I look up to find that what fruit trees that are growing in this area already bear a bounty of ripe goods, plump and ready to pluck free. There's not a flower in sight up high.

Another glance down tells me a little more; some of the leaves are fresh and green, others are a crisp, pretty mix of yellow, red, and orange, and still more are a mucky brown. I even spot some pine needles. Upon closer inspection, I find that sometimes, the most similar of leaves bunch together. _There's a pattern_, I deduce. I just have to find out what it is.

It's summer, but the petals on the ground would tell otherwise. Fruit trees blossom in the spring. In the summer, leaves are a deep, natural green, not the multitude of warm colors I see before us, although there are green leaves as well. Only in autumn do the leaves change. In winter, the leaves would become very brittle, if not squishy from decomposition, except for the pines which stay green all year round. Pines are used for decoration at Christmas, a winter holiday.

…The seasons maybe? It's worth a shot I guess.

I try going to small piles of leaves at what I determine is the edge of the pit, each one I suppose means a certain season- one with only fresh leaves, another with a bunch of petals, one that's mostly pine needles, and so forth. I tentatively place a foot upon a pile, testing my weight upon it. When I feel as though it's going to give, I step back and try another. This goes on until I find the one that I've dubbed the winter pile. Taking a breath, I step on it.

Nothing happens; it's solid ground.

"Follow my lead," I tell Ri, "Only step where I step." I look around me. Some ways away, another winter pile is stack up. I launch an Aura Sphere at it only for it to vanish into the pit like before. Working on a hunch, I send another at a spring pile. Under the scorched leaves, I catch a spot of blackened earth. I jump over to it, allowing Ri to take my former place.

_Winter, spring, summer, fall. Winter, spring, summer, fall. _The steps grow farther apart, but the pattern goes on like a mantra through my mind until, finally, we reach the end.

"Lira, you're some sort of genius!" Ri exclaims, hopping off of the final step and away from the pit to join at my side, "A mad, time-travelling, genius!"

The next few aren't so tricky. It was clear that the path was made so that if one trap didn't prevent a certain type of Pokemon from entering the area, another one would. We do wind up coming upon one area where a large growth of extremely toxic to the touch vines grew, blocking the way completely, but Grovyle was able to use Dig to make a tunnel of sorts in order to go underneath them. We had been very careful not to come in contact with the roots, just in case poisons emitted from them as well. Whether or not, they grew naturally, I had no idea, but my bet would be on the latter.

Taking the Time Gear did nothing to the already frozen region. I saw Grovyle's eye harden at the sight of it suspending in the air. Ri had looked at him strangely, but his only comment was, "One down, four to go." I know he feels the wrongness of the situation too though.

…

"I'm back," Ri said as he entered our hideout back at Sharpedo Bluff. I look up from my work of preparing salads for a late meal. He looks over to Grovyle, who's been in some sort of meditative state for some time now, "I've got some news like you wanted."

"What's the word?"

"Not very good. After we went to the future, Uxie and her friends returned the Time Gears to their rightful places. Everyone was happy because they thought time would return to normal, but the time remained stopped in those places, and even worse, it's spreading to other regions. No one can figure out what the problem is."

"If time is stopping in a spreading area, it can only mean one thing; Temporal Tower is starting to collapse. Temporal Tower gives structure to time and without it… This is bad. The problem is accelerating. The planet's paralysis is coming on fast. If we don't hurry, the planet will become fully paralyzed.

"There's just one problem. Temporal Tower is in a place called the Hidden Land."

"I remember reading about that." I actually do, since I've did nothing but read to and from Treeshroud Forest and almost every other available minute we've had.

"As the name suggests, no one knows where the Hidden Land is."

"But… there isn't any time," Ri looks down in despair.

"That's right. That's why I think we need to split up for now. I'll go collect the Time Gears. In the meantime, you two will search for the Hidden Land. It is supposedly somewhere is this world, unfortunately, there are no clues as to where it is exactly. We may need to consider crossing the sea to reach it."

I look out to the ocean in thought, my brows furrowing. "We're going to need more help. It can't just be the three of us looking, not with time running out at this pace. We have very little choice but to ask for assistance. Maybe the rest of the Guild?"

"That's a bad idea," Grovyle states.

Ri agrees, "Lira, if we tell them everything- about Grovyle and Dusknoir, about the future, about _you_… How can they believe us?! Even I didn't want to believe for a long while, even though I had seen everything with my own eyes."

"What other options do we have? And, like I said in the future, if they don't believe then we have lost nothing. Grovyle, you could go out and collect the rest of the Time Gears while Ri and I try to convince everyone of the truth. "

He looks away from me, "… Everyone will be shocked."

I smirk at him, "What? Did you think of hiding from them the rest of your life even if were able to cure the planet's paralysis on our own?"

"You have a point there," he admits bashfully.

Grovyle's gaze shifts between the two of us before he lets out a tired sigh of defeat, "It seems I've been outvoted on this matter. Fine, but while you're at it, try to convince them to talk to the guardians as well. Having to fight all three of them and then go through their defenses will only make my task that much harder to complete."

I nod, smiling back at him, "Will do."

After supper, when we're all just about ready to- I guess literally- hit the hay, Ri chooses that moment to tap me on the shoulder and say, "So… In the future, I'm not only an Aura Guardian and leader, but your master. Ha! That's means everything you know, including Aura Sphere, you learned from me."

_Why you smug little-!_ Getting a devilish thought, I grab him by one arm and use Circle Throw to toss him out of the chamber, past the Sharpedo's teeth, and into the water below. Grovyle rolls his eyes and facepalms, while I approach the side and shout down, "Looks like the student has surpassed the master!" Ri swims back up, spitting out water. I would've laughed had it not been for one thing.

There was a Luvdisc flopping on top of his head. When he notices this, we both turn pale. Not because Luvdiscs are dangerous Pokemon, it was pretty much the exact opposite.

There was a legend and tradition behind those little guys. The tradition- at least amongst humans, I'm not sure about Pokemon- to give one of them to the person you loved most. The legend- if a couple found a Luvdisc, it would bless them with eternal love.

I nearly scream at him, _Put the fish back!_


	29. Why No One Likes Chatot

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_**SDP**__**: **__Writer's block is a cruel, cruel thing. I'm actually trying to work on two stories of my own I'm hoping to maybe someday get published and I'm lucky to get a chapter done on them. And yes, beware the Luvdiscs! Bwahahaha! :D))_

"Well, here we are, Lira," Ri states softly, "Wigglytuff's Guild."

Grovyle had already headed out on his own to collect the other four Time Gears. Two giant torches illuminated the way up the stairs to the Guild compound, already having been lit for the evening. A cloudy sky danced with color as the sun set low on the horizon.

"This feels like the first day. When we became an exploration team," I say, staring at the gate.

"That day seems like a long time ago; we've been through so much together since then," he sighs, "Now that we're here, it's kind of awkward to go in. After all, we were suddenly taken away in front of everyone. It would be sort of strange to suddenly show up. Still, we have to see everyone and tell them the truth."

Ri goes on ahead and stand on the grate so the sentry can check him. Sure enough, we heard Diglett's voice, "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected! Whose footprint? Whose footprint? The footprint belongs to…" His voice abruptly cuts off and he starts to stutter, "The f-f-footprint belongs too…"

We both hear Loudred next, "What's wrong Diglett?! Respond! Respond... Wait, where are you borrowing off to? Hey, Diglett! Where are you going?!"

"That footprint… It's Ri!" Suddenly, Diglett pops out of the ground near us. He gasps in shock, then beams happily, "It is Ri! And Lira too!"

"_What?!_" This time, it's a mass of voices. I assume that some of the other apprentices must have checked the sentry post to see what the matter was.

Crouching, I poke my head out and shout down, "Hi guys!"

"Diglett!" greets Ri, "Long time no see!"

Then the ground starts to shake and all three of us latch on to each other for support. It's as if an earthquake has erupted. The gate rises and Wigglytuff, Chatot, and all of the other apprentices pour out of the compound in a stampede.

"Hey, hey! It's true!"

"Oh my gosh, it really_ is_ Lira and Ri!"

"You're both ALIVE!"

"We worried so much about you!"

Ri and I smile; despite everything we've been through together, we didn't think the others cared this much about us. After all, typically we sort of kept off from everyone else. As the only other female apprentices I know, Chimecho and Sunflora catch me in a group hug. Bidoof seems almost moved to tears.

"Welcome home!" says the Guildmaster, "Ri! Lira!"

Once the chaos has died down enough for us to speak, I begin, "Everyone… there are some things Ri and I need to tell you. Some things we've even kept a secret for a long time…"

"What is it, Lira?"

I take a breath, "It might be best if we just start from the beginning. You see… I'm not really supposed to be a Riolu- or a Pokemon at all…" Man, this went a lot smoother in my head.

"… What?"

Sometime later, after we've explained everything we can and have gone into the security of the Guildmaster's chambers to finish discussing it all, all of the apprentices stand there and balk at us. A flabbergasted Chatot is the first to speak up, "Just… just hold on for a moment. Let me get this story straight! Let me summarize it so far… First, Grovyle is actually a good Pokemon? And he was collecting the Time Gears to save the world?"

"Yes," we both answer in unison.

"And the great Dusknoir only pretended to be kind and helpful, but was actually a heinous and wicked villain?"

"Yes…" Ri replies, "Although I didn't really phrase it as 'heinous and wicked'…"

"And Lira… you were really Grovyle's partner- a _human_- while Ri, sometime later in life, becomes your master to train you to be an Aura Guardian, so Dusknoir wanted to get rid of all three of you, therefore he took you to the future? Then you managed to escape Dusknoir by the skin of your teeth, and you barely made it back home from the future? And finally, this planet will soon become paralyzed and to prevent that, Grovyle has started collecting Time Gears again? Meanwhile, you two are looking for a place called the Hidden Land? Is that your story is its full entirety?!"

Ri and I look to each other and I shrug, "Yeah, that's pretty much it in a nutshell."

Suddenly, Chatot bursts in full out laughter, "Ri and Lira… You two must have had a bad dream or something!"

"What?!" Ri shouts in agitation, "Wait a second. You think we're lying?"

"Why don't you two just go to your room and get some rest?"

"But everything we told you is true!"

"I'm sure… I'm sure…" I hear the sarcasm in his tone and snarl. He then chortles, "I'm sure you two are suffering from exhaustion! A good nap will fix that!" He tries to usher us away with a wing.

"Seriously?" I growl, "Even after everything… You've seen two Pokemon from the future- or make that three if you count me in, a Dimensional Hole, witnessed me use the Dimensional Scream, and you _still_ think this is all a lie?!"

"That's quite enough!" he shouts back, getting annoyed himself, "So tell me! Is there any part of your story that's even remotely plausible? A place called the Hidden Land? I'm the head of intelligence here, and I've heard of no such place! And the great Dusknoir couldn't possibly have done anything you've alleged! I'll hear no more of this!" He looks to the other Guild members, "Don't you all feel the same way? How can anyone seriously think of Dusknoir as a villain?"

"We hold Dusknoir in high esteem," states Dugtrio, "We cannot believe it!"

"See? Everyone shares the same opinion!"

"Wait," Sunflora says, her tone thoughtful, a spark contrast to her usually bubbly and overly giddy personality, "There's something I don't understand… That time, when the great Dusknoir was about to return to the future… what he did was strange any way you look at it."

"Yeah!" Loudred agrees, "Dusknoir yanked up Ri and Lira! And THREW them in!"

"Hey, hey, that's right! It looked that way to me too! What happened was really weird; it seemed completely out of character for him to do something like that," Corphfish chatters.

"If what Ri and Lira say is true, then what Dusknoir did makes perfect sense," says Chimecho.

"So this is what you believe now?" demands Chatot, "Are you actually saying that you now believe what these two are claiming?!"

"I… believe them," faintly mumbles a shy Bidoof, "I mean, golly, I sure did think highly of the great Dusknoir, but there's something more important here… Ri and Lira are important. That's why I believe what Team Crusade has to say."

"Me too."

"Me too! Oh my gosh! They're our guild colleagues, after all!"

Soon, all of the other apprentices speak up in assent for us. Even Dugtrio, who moments ago admitted his faith in Dusknoir, says, "Casting doubt in our colleagues is wrong! Trust is a must!"

Chatot squawks in amazement as Ri and I grin brightly at our friends. We've had more allies than we thought we did all of this time without even knowing it. Well, except for maybe… I look over to my comrade, standing beside me. Ri… he always knew, didn't he? And whether he knows it or not, people look up to him. Letting out a breath of relief, he looks to them all know, "Thank you for believing us!"

"Well," Wigglytuff smiles, "It seems that we all agree! Then let's begin our search for the Hidden Land!"

"Wait, Guildmaster!" Loudred says, his eyes darting over to the Music-Note Pokemon, "We're not ALL in agreement yet, are we! We're all good with the story, but I suspect that Chatot isn't convinced."

"Oh, is that all?" Wigglytuff laughs, "We don't need to worry about him." Now it's our turn to be confused. All of us apprentices look to each other, raising eyebrows and wondering what the Guildmaster means, "Because Chatot believed Ri and Lira's story all along! Right, Chatot?"

Chatot turns away, laughing nervously. "Well, Guildmaster, there's no fooling you… Yes, I believed it right from the start, but if I had just believed them right away, everyone would've just gone with what I said. That's why I was so contrary; I wanted to put your friendship to the test."

"Likely story…" whispers someone behind us.

"I was convinced from the get-go! I knew everyone would surely believe in their colleagues!

"…Says you…"

"Lira! Ri!" Wigglytuff addresses, "I believe you! You're my good friends in guild membership! Now listen, everyone! Time is stopping in more and more places. From Team Crusade's story, we know our world is in danger. We can't just sit around and do nothing! In the name of Wigglytuff's Guild, we'll combine all our efforts! We'll discover the Hidden Land! And we'll restore time for all Pokemon from everywhere on this earth! Chatot!"

"Y-yes sir!" He directs all attention to him, "All right! From now on, we're shifting all our efforts to locating the Hidden Land and letting everyone know what is happening to our world."

"Guildmaster, can we alert Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf quickly?" I request, "Grovyle's already set out to get the four we're missing and if he runs into any of the trio it'll only make things that much more difficult; they'll try to stop him."

"Then I'll go tell them!" offers Corphfish.

"Agreed. Corphfish, you travel to Fogbound Lake to tell Uxie," Wigglytuff approaches us, "I'll go ahead and assign two Pelipper to alert Mesprit and Azelf. I'm sorry I don't have any information on the Hidden Land, but maybe the wise Torkoal, the town elder, may know something. You can find him at the Hot Springs."

"We know the way," Ri nods, "The first time we went to the Hot Springs, we were swished away from the Waterfall Cave to there. Remember, Lira?"

"It's impossible to forget," I smirk.

He chuckles, "I can get dye if you can steal his shampoo."


	30. Patterns

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_**SDP**__**: **__And I happy quote… *drops hippo on Zazu* "Pardon me madam, but… GET. OFF! Simba…? Nala…?"_

_**TheHuntressofstories**__**: **__Thanks! Also, I was wondering if you've played the game before too? And if so, which version?))___

It was too bad that we can't stay and enjoy the hot spring; the water feels amazing. Ri and I hop in and swim over to Torkoal, sitting on a rock to soak up some sun. "Ah, young ones," he greets us, "Come to wash away your exhaustion. I have heard much of your voyages, Team Crusade."

"No, sir, we were wondering if you could help us." We explain to him all that's happened up to this point and how we need to reach the Hidden Land, hoping he'll know something.

"Well, yes… I have heard of it," he says once we've asked him.

Ri and I grin in relief, "Really?"

"The Hidden Land is truly a place of legend," he admits, "It's tattered lore at best. Handed down by oral tradition."

"It doesn't matter," I nearly beg, "Just please tell us."

"Of course," he nods, "The Hidden Land lies beyond the sea, in a hidden place, naturally. It allows only those chosen to find it. To go there, one must possess certain qualities."

"So, only a chosen one," I say with disappoint, "Well that's just great…"

"I'm not finished yet!" he says crankily, before clearing his throat and continuing, "The qualifications are… are… Now what were they?" his face contorts in confusion and his scratches his chin, "I'm sorry; it's slipped my mind."

"You've forgotten?!" we exclaim in unison.

"Please, Torkoal, try to remember," pleads Ri, "This is important!"

"Easy for you to say," he falls silent before a look of enlightenment appears on his face, "Proof! That's it! You need proof."

"What kind of proof?"

"That would be… er…" he sits down, "Forgive me. I've forgotten again." I sit down; this could take a while. After waiting a good, full half hour, he speaks again, "Now I remember! The proof bears an inscription of a certain pattern."

"A pattern?"

"Er… how can I describe it? It's very difficult… all I can say is that it's quite intricate and odd. It's a peculiar pattern, the kind you rarely see."

_A pattern you rarely see…_ My eyes fly open and I look toward Ri, knowing he's come up with the same conclusion as myself. But it couldn't be, could it? For all we know, maybe we're just being too hopeful, but still…

"Torkoal? Do you mean a pattern like this?" Ri removes the Relic Fragment from around his neck, holding it by the tied rope, and hands it to the elder.

The Coal Pokemon takes a look at it, then gasps in shock, "Why yes! It's a pattern exactly like this! Where… where did you get this?"

"I don't really remember," Ri shrugs, looking down in thought, "I was still living with my folks at the time. I think I just picked it up is all."

"So that means we can go to the Hidden Land?" I ask.

"Well, perhaps," Torkoal answers, "There's no sure connection between this Relic Fragment and the Hidden Land."

"Just knowing that there's some sort of connection at all is all we need," says Ri, "Can you remember anything else?"

"Sorry, but no. I'm sorry, youngsters. If I recall anything, however, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Well, thanks, Torkoal."

We prepare to leave, but his voice stops us. "Just one more thing, you two. It seems to me you both have been running into a lot of Ghost-type Pokemon lately."

"Got that right," I say, "Most of them nearly did us in too. None of our moves will even land a scratch on them except for Ri's Bone Rush."

"Well, have you ever heard of a move called Foresight?"

"Foresight?"

"Yes. It's a move that allows Normal and Fighting-type moves to deal damage against Ghost-types."

Ri and I smile, "Meaning we can even the playing field a bit."

"Exactly. If you two learn that move, I'm sure it'll do you some good on your travels."

…

As soon as we had reported back to the Guild, we began practicing Foresight. It's harder to learn than either of us would've guessed, but we need all the advantages we can get once we reach the Hidden Land.

That is to say _if_ we reach the Hidden Land. We were the only team to gather any information and what we did hear might only lead us on a wild Psyduck chase. I'm worried about the chances that we don't find it; I can't stand seeing the world falling into chaos, for the planet's paralysis to occur. Still, I don't reveal my doubts to Ri. Hope needs to be kept alive if we are to get anywhere at all.

Before dinner that night, we are summoned by the Guildmaster. He asks to see Ri's Relic Fragment and takes a good, long look at it before calling Chatot in as well, "Chatot… We've seen this pattern before, haven't we?"

"I think so," he agrees, "The sea inlet to the northwest, inside Brine Cave… but Guildmaster, that place-!"

"Yes, I know. That vicious bandit was there."

I speak up, "Bandit or no, if it's the key to helping us find the Hidden Land, we'll go."

Ri nods in agreement, "The world is in danger; we're not about to let some crook scare us off."

Wigglytuff smiles at us, "I admire your spirit, but it would be unwise to send you two off alone, especially with no way to where the pattern is."

"Right," Chatot flutters to the door of the Guildmaster's chambers, "I'll call for someone to join you on your journey."

"That won't be necessary, Chatot," the Guildmaster tells him, stopping the parrot-like Pokemon in his tracks, "I've already chosen someone to go with them."

"…You have?" I ask, a bad feeling rising inside me.

"Yes, I have. Chatot, _you're_ to guide Team Crusade to the place where we saw the pattern."

"_What?!_" I yell, almost loud enough to rattle the walls. Stunned by my outburst, Wigglytuff and Chatot, stare at me, blushing I stutter, "I-I mean, Chatot, you're probably busy with so many things here at the Guild, really, we'd hate to be a bother like that. I'm sure Ri and I can find it on our own."

He holds his head high, his feathers ruffling, "Nonsense! You'll certainly need my help and I should do what I can."

_Great. So no backing out on this._ I sigh; this is going to be a loooooong trip. I sense that Ri share's my pain.

After a brief visit to Treasure Town to gather some supplies, Ri and I head back to Sharpedo Bluff to see if Grovyle had returned yet. Frankly, if we have to suffer Chatot's company it's only fair that he comes along too…. I mean, we'll need his help fighting through the dungeon in Brine Cave.

In his place, however, we instead find a note in footprint runes. Ri picks it up off the ground and begins to read, _"To Lira and Ri: How are you doing? How goes your search for the Hidden Land? Things are going well on my end, I've already collected two more Time Gears; just another two more left. I plan to join you when I have all five. _

"_Plans have proceeded smoothly. Azelf and his friends understood the situation. And they have fully cooperated. Azelf told me that the members of your Guild let them know I was coming. Thank you. It's heartening to know that more and more Pokemon are coming to trust us. However, I will continue to stay away from Treasure Town and the Guild._

"_First, I'm not certain if the Pokemon in this world trust me entirely or not, but there's something more troubling than that. Dusknoir is liable to return from the future at any time. Since Dusknoir will be coming, we need to keep a low profile. This is another reason I should stay away. I may instead come back here, to Sharpedo Bluff, or the beach. If we should meet, we can exchange information. Good luck on your end. Together, we shall stop the planet's paralysis._

"_- Grovyle."_

We rush to the shore to see if he's there, but no. What's odd, not even the Krabby are around. Typically they come out here in the evenings to blow bubbles. Ri seems disappointed by that, but then he gazes out to the sunset and smiles. I smile too.

I admit… it's nice, sharing this with him.

"You know," he clenches his Relic Fragment and looks up at me, catching me watching him. I look away and blush- I seem to be doing that a lot lately- as if I've been caught spying, but he doesn't bring the matter up, "It was my dream to solve the secret of my Relic Fragment, but I never would've guessed that the Relic Fragment was connected to the Hidden Land. That reminds me… it was here wasn't it? When Koffing and Zubat stole it?"

I chortle, "We've made a lot of memories on this beach."

"Yeah… I remember, I was too scared to get it back," he looks away from me this time, toward the beach caves, "I have to tell you that you gave me courage then, Lira… You know, that's how we really started out as a team. Getting back this Relic Fragment was Team Crusade's first adventure, and now we're using it to go to the Hidden Land… If you think about it, it's kind of strange."

"How so?"

"Because it's the start of both; it lead us to each other at the start of this adventure, and now it'll lead us to the end… This beautiful sunset, it will be lost if the planet's paralysis can't be stopped."

I take another look at it, watching the last light of day give way to starry skies. To my horror, as Ri and I step closer to the water's edge, allowing the waves to lap at our ankles, he takes my hand in his, giving it a light squeeze of comfort. Feeling flustered, I stumble out after a brief pause, "… We can't waste any time finding the Hidden Land then. We have to fulfill our mission."

He laughs at the look on my face then turns back to the water, "Whoa… Lira, what's that?" My gaze follows his upward and I spot something on the horizon. "It looks like it's swimming across the sunset… I think it's a Pokemon!"

"That's a little strange…"

"Yeah…" he looks down at our hands, still linked together, before releasing me and scratching the back of his head, "Well, we better get back to the Guild. Night's almost here and I'd like to try that move some more before going to bed." I follow at a brisk place.


	31. Temporary Truce

_((__**Review Replies**__**:**_

_**SDP**__**:**__ Rofl! I think Celebi would have a field day teasing her if she had gone into the past as well, because Lira would loath admitting it to anyone._

_**TheHuntressofstories**__**:**__ I haven't heard of Red Rescue or Gates to Infinity before; how are those and what are they about?))___

"Now listen everyone!" Chatot begins, speaking to all the Guild's apprentice parties in front of the entrance to Brine Cave, "Your objective is to reach the deepest part of this dungeon. That is where one will find the same odd pattern inscribed on the Relic Fragment that Ri has. However, it is there that an extremely viscous Pokemon lurks. The Guildmaster and I had explored these caves long ago, and that was where we faced off with those criminals."

Loudred gulps, standing behind us, "So they're pretty tough, you say?"

"Actually… I don't remember at all…"

"What do you MEAN you don't remember?!" he exclaims, conveying everyone's feeling of unease and worry.

"Yes, but I'm loath to admit it. They attacked us without warning out of nowhere. I was knocked out before I could do a thing. When I came to, the Guildmaster was tending to my wounds, but I had no memory of events before that, so I couldn't tell you what the attackers were like," Chatot sighs.

"That gives us nothing to go on," states Dugtrio.

"So we don't know the kind of enemy we're facing?" Sunflora adds, "We'll have to make our way slowly…"

"Wait," Ri interrupts, gathering attention, "Chatot, at first you said there was one viscous Pokemon, but then you said that _they_ attacked you. There's more than one?"

"Well, no, there wasn't just one. There was one extremely viscous Pokemon, but it wasn't alone. When they attacked…" his eyes widen as he comes to some sort of conclusion, "I remember now! They attacked all at once. I recall getting slammed with water, like a tidal wave."

"So that could mean Water-type moves."

I look around. Ri and I should be fine. I see Sunflora smiling at Bidoof, because she knows that they have an advantage. Meanwhile, people like Diglett and Dugtrio look to each other with a little fear masked by determination and worry for their fellow Ground-types, who can't stand water.

"No one is to go off alone," Chatot continues once this newly brought to light information on what threats may await us has sunken in, "All teams will spread out to search for the pattern," he then turns to Ri and me, "Remember what the Guildmaster said; you two are to accompany me when exploring this cave. I trust you won't hold me up much? You can't expect me to do everything for you; It's up to you to look after yourselves!"

"Understood," Ri answers for the both of us.

As we all enter the cave, I mumble to Ri, "How much trouble to you think we'd get into if we ditched him?"

"It's tempting… but it's probably best not to think about it."

We haven't actually gone too far down before Chatot says we need to stop to rest. Funny, considering he's the one telling _us_ to keep up. And when we ran into a group of angry Starmies, we're that ones that had to pull_ him_ out of the mess. We even had to use one of our Reviver Seeds.

He blames it on being rusty out in the field. We both know otherwise.

"How much farther down?" I ask.

"Just a little ways, I believe," he replies, "Just remember though, each step we take brings us closer and closer to those bandits."

"Then we should get moving," Ri states, "We've got no time to waste!"

"I couldn't agree more!" Suddenly, Ri is shoved to the ground as a large purplish figure slams into him. Looking behind him, I growl in hate as I see Team Salacious standing in the tunnel from the way we came, "If fact, time's up."

"Been a long time, weaklings," Koffing laughs as I help Ri to stand.

"Oh, you're that _nice_ team… eh?" Chatot says, his feathers ruffling.

This time, I can't hold back my tongue, "Way to suck up!"

"So," suddenly, Skuntank swooshes forward. Ri prepares to block an attack, but instead the thug yanks off his necklace, "This is it?" He hold it up by the strings for inspection, "This is the Relic Fragment? I think I'll be taking this."

"This is the second time you're getting mugged for this! Ha!" chortles Zubat, "You don't learn very well, that's for sure."

"How'd you know we were here?" Chatot asks.

"_Please_," Skuntank rolls his eyes, "It wasn't exactly hard to get Torkoal to spit out what we wanted to know. It was only a matter of… persuasion."

My hands clench into fists. "What did you do to him?!" I demand.

"Relax, kid, the old man's fine. Anyway, now that we've got the Relic Fragment, all we just have to do is go to the Hidden Land. The discovery is ours to claim. Eat your heart out, nitwits!"

"You idiots!" I scream at them, enraged, "You think this is all fun and games? Ri and I need that Relic Fragment to go to the Hidden Land in order to save everyone in this world! You're putting even yourselves at risk!"

"Nice try, but we won't be fooled so easily by your talk," they quickly shove what I identify as Quick Seeds into their mouths and speed off before we get a chance to strike at them, "Ba-bye, suckers!"

We watch them go, from our positions on the ground from where we had tried to tackle them as they zoomed by. Swiftly, a steaming with anger Chatot flies over head, "Those thugs! Think they can pull one over on me, can they?"

Zubat turns to face us and, grinning, uses Air Slash on the rocks above the tunnel. They start to fall to block the way onward. "Chatot, look out!" I yell. He doesn't listen and bullets forward at an even faster pace, just making it before he can be smashed to bits by the falling debris. Ri and I get up and hurry as well, but by the time we get there, the way is sealed off. I bring a fist down hard on a boulder, "Crap!"

"There's no way he'll be able to take them all on his own," Ri states. He stares at the rocks for a moment before sagging his head, "I don't know if there's another way through, and even if there is, by the time we find it, he'll be done for." He starts pulling the rocks free with his bare hands, rolling them away and kicking them even farther when he can, "We have to get through! I'm getting my Relic Fragment back!"

After we've torn at the rocks for a while, Ri eventually gives in and uses Bone Rush to try to smash away at them, turning them to small bits of rubble. I shove the bits away to clear more space until I see that he needs help. Using Copycat, I'm able to use Bone Rush as well and together we keep bashing, but to no avail. More boulders just keep filling the spots we've already cleared. Some of them have nearly collapsed on top of us.

"Ugh!" Ri screams in agitation, snarling, "Curse Zubat! There's no way we'll get through if more just keep piling on. It'll take a miracle to get this cleared in time."

Something flashes back to me. _"Give it up, Lucario, and accept the facts," I hear Dusknoir say from somewhere within the prison halls, "Those bars are impenetrable. It would take a miracle for you to get through them."_

"When I find those jerks, I gonna…" Ri starts to shake in rage.

I place a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back to the present. "If it's going to take a miracle, then we're going to make a miracle," I say, smirking at him.

I step back and gesture for him to stand aside. When he does, I place my hands in front of me and concentrate. The appendages on my head lift up and I close my eyes shut, reaching deep within. _Come on… I've got to give it all I've got!_ An Aura Sphere begins to form, growing larger and denser the more power I put into it.

It's not enough. Not yet. I have to put a little more in. I begin to use not just the aura the surrounds me and that can be absorbed for power without ill effect to the surroundings, but also siphon my own stores of life energy. It's a bit risky, but if I do this right, I can clear the way with one shot without knocking myself out or worse. I have to be strong.

"Lira…" Ri says worriedly, eying the beads of sweat that have started to collect on my forehead.

"I can do this!" I tell him through gritted teeth. Come on, _come on_… Just a little bit more… Now! "The aura is with me!" With a grunt of effort, I propel the sphere from my grasp. With success, it bound through the stone, illuminates the next tunnel as it sizzles by, then slams to a stop with a loud, vibrating sound into the next wall some dozen feet thick.

I fall on my hands and knees, weakened from the move and trying to catch my breath. Had I been a Lucario, this would've been much easier. It's amazing itself that, as a Riolu, I can use Aura Sphere at all, but I assume it's because of my previous training under the adult Ri in the future. I've had years to try to master it- along with other aura-based moves- with someone to show me how.

Ri puts one of my arms around his shoulders and wraps one of his own around my waist, helping my wobbly body stand. It's a good thing he is helping, because I'm not entirely sure if I can walk on my own right now, not for very long at best.

And then I know I couldn't have done it on my own, for when we leap over the small boulders that still try to block our way, I stumble forward some. He holds onto me without a word so I don't fall flat on my face and we keep moving. "Think you'll be ok when we reach Chatot and Team Salacious?" he questions.

"I'll be fine," I shrug, "I just need to catch my breath and then I'll be up and ready to fight. Count on it," then I smile at him, "I still owe Skuntank a butt-whooping after all. Oh no, after this dirty trick he's not getting by that easily."

"You're such a tom," he laughs, "but I like that."

"Got a thing for tomboys, huh?" I surprise even myself with these words, but it's worth it seeing his reaction to them.

He cheeks burn a deep shade of dark blue, "No! That's not what I meant!"

…

We face Water-types of all species the further we descend. Team Salacious probably angered them on their way down as an effort to delay us if we somehow managed to get through. Well, we did, and we have to either talk enough sense into each and every one of them to let us pass or fight the ones that are absolutely unreasonable. It's a good thing though that promising to get revenge on Tem Salacious seems to be enough to appease them.

There was even a few that could use Ice-type attacks and one that made it hail on one level down. So, we find it odd then that when we enter the deepest pits of Brine Cave, it's horribly hot and humid. I erase the thought of being near an underwater volcano, because I don't believe that we're _that_ far underground.

The sound of groaning draws us in. We're almost shocked to find Team Salacious lying on the ground in a heap, beaten pretty bad. Chatot's not around, so I doubt he did this to them- not that I believe he could anyway. There wasn't another apprentice in sight either, so that only left one other conclusion.

"Did someone gang up on you?" Ri questions them, kneeling beside Skuntank.

"… You knew it was coming?" Koffing moans, "Would've been good to know that…"

"Not that you'd tell us…" weakly chuckles Zubat.

"Are you alright?"

Skuntank just glares at us, "You find us… at your mercy…" he scowls, "and you're worried about how we are? You nitwits are either toying with us or sickeningly generous."

Ri frowns at him, but I can see the pity in his eyes, "We're not about to walk away from anyone if they're hurt. Not even you." I look to Ri is surprise. Earlier, he seemed about ready to kill them, and now this. Looking back at the three, I understand. It would be wrong for more than one reason to get them while they're down or even just leave them here. And we're not like them. To do something like that would only mean stooping to their level, no matter how angry we are.

"Your concerns are wasted on us. We'll be fine," answers Skuntank, "That pompous Chatot… he riled me up enough to keep me going!"

"Chatot did what?!"

"He came along after we got wiped out. When he found us down, he scolded us with all sorts of choice words," Skuntank chortles, "Then, after giving us that blistering tongue-lashing, he went on his way. The things he said about us… I'm still seeing red. I'm so streaming right now that I refuse to give up here, even if I have to crawl to Chatot to deliver some payback."

"Chatot can have that effect on people," he gives me a sidelong glance and I scowl at him, "but you still look like you're in a lot of pain. Lira, see if you can find some extra Oran Berries in our bag." I nod and do so, handing one each to the trio.

None of them bother to say thanks; Zubat and Koffing immeadiately get to eating theirs, but Skuntank stares down at his own, twisting it around with his fingers, "After everything… We've put you two through the worst of times, but you can still bring yourselves to worry about the likes of us?"

"You did make us furious over this and that, yes," Ri replies, standing, "but when we see you down like this, we can't just walk away, because… Well, it's not _our_ way."

I catch Skuntank grin briefly before he just as swiftly wipes it away. Just as he starts nibbling on the berry, his other hand goes behind him. I feel myself tense up a bit, but stay calm.

A few seconds later, the Relic Fragment flies close to Ri's feet. "Oops," exclaims Skuntank in a monotone, "How unlike me for it to slip out of my grip… and I can't move yet. Guys, they are going to steal it back."

Ri, smiling, picks it up from the ground and ties it back around his neck. Urging me along, he starts heading the way Chatot probably went. I begin to follow him, but pause long enough to turn back to Team Salacious, "Thank you."

Skuntank humphs with a snort, "Why are you thanking me? It was an accident."

"You know, you're not as bad as you think," I reply, "I don't know what you believe or what you're background is, but maybe if you tried being nice more often, you'd see that. And people wouldn't act the way they do around you."

He rolls his eyes at me, "Typical twerp- don't patronize us. The next time we meet, we're going to be back to our old tricks of messing with you, so don't waste your time worrying about us. You should be worrying about Chatot instead."

As I turn to leave and start walking away, I call back for the sole purpose of getting on his nerves, "You know you can be a good guy if you wanted to!"

"Shut it!"


	32. Time Loop

We spot Chatot and hurry over to him. Spinning around to us, he hisses for us to stay back and keep quiet, "They're hiding somewhere nearby… I know it. There's just a sense of foreboding."

Ri and I look around then shrug at each other. "I don't see a place to hide," he replies, "There are only rock walls around us."

"Wait… I remember something else," Chatot says, his face turning pale, "You know how I said it was like they attacked out of nowhere?" We nod. "Well, I was wrong," he gulps, "It felt like nowhere, but where they really attacked from w-was…"

Slowly, he starts to look up. Ri does the same. I decide to keep my head down, pretending to look around in any other direction _but _up. If they are up there, it would be best not to let them know we've seen them. Of course, playing dumb we'll only make myself a prime target, but I have to be ready.

We can hear them now, snarling. "Be careful… They're above us," Chatot says softly, trying to hide his panic. I reach out with aura, hoping I'm adept enough now to determine when and where they'll strike with enough time to defend myself.

"Lira! Watch out!" Ri screams at me, but I'm already prepared. As one of our opponents tries to pounce on me from behind, I swiftly turn and swing my leg around, kicking them away to skid on the dirt. Another two drop down near their companion as he shakes his head and gets back up, turning to stare at me in fury.

Their leader steps forward as Ri and I get into a fighting stance. Chatot still hasn't seemed to pull himself together yet. "I am Kabutops!" he addresses, "These are the Omastar brothers. All trespassers shall be taught a lesson! Take this!" He lunges forward at us both. Despite him being nearly twice our size, we get ready to counterattack.

Our chance never comes. Chatot jumps in the way to defend us against the strike. Ri and I stare dumbfounded at him; who knew he had it in him! He groans from the pain, but stands firm, "Urgh… I won't let you get away with this!"

"How do you like that?" smirks Kabutops, "That hero shielded his buddies with his body. That's cute, but not what I'd call smart."

"Hey! I remember!" says one of the Omastar brothers, nudging at him with a slight laugh, "Boss! That big hero's been here before! We knocked him out the same way too!"

"That's the second time he's done that?" he chortles in reply, "That really takes a whole lot of smarts! Ha!"

"Say what you will," Chatot interrupts, gripped with pain but fueled by anger, "They're… our prized recruits! I won't let you harm them…" Ri and I both reach out a hand, but we're too late. He falls to the ground at our feet, unconscious.

"Chatot!"

"Alright, kiddies!" We both look up to the bandits, "It's your turn next!"

We're instantly forced to dodge as the each one of the Omastar brothers take us head on, barreling forward and using Leer to lower our defense. Ri and I both jump up and flip over the pair, but the patiently waiting Kabutops is already waiting for me and uses Aqua Jet. The razor sharp sickles that make up his arms cut at me as he the move hits dead on. Somehow, I still manage to land on my feet as I'm knocked back, but skid across the earth, scattering dirt and small pebbles loose from the soil.

Relentlessly, the Shellfish Pokemon lunges forward to slice at me again and again with his scythe-like arms. I can only duck and swing out of the way to avoid them; to try to block them would only mean harming myself in the process. He keeps up the rapid assault, forcing me back and leaving no available openings to counter.

The next thing I know, four tentacles wrap around my arms and legs, each one to a limb. Kabutops stops striking and watches with a gleam in his eyes as I try to struggle free. Looking back behind me, I see that it is one of the Omastar that has me. I attempt to kick out at him, but his shell protects him from the pathetic swing. My head jerks around as I hear Ri yelp in pain, and I spot him caught the same was as I am, except his thigh is bleeding now and the other Omastar has blood on his carnivorous fangs.

Kabutops begins to laugh, "Struggle all you like, young ones, it's futile. Omastars may be slow and ponderous, but once they've latched onto their prey, they never let go."

"Hey boss," the one that has Ri replies, "This Riolu doesn't taste half-bad. Maybe we shouldn't let these ones go. Only one way to find out if they're edible or not. Can't we eat them?"

"_Eat us?!_" Ri exclaims in shock. I feel myself shiver as well. Pokemon typically don't devour other Pokemon, not since the prehistoric days. Even snake Pokemon like Seviper have been known to eat fruit instead.

"It has been a while," their leader looks back other to Chatot's unconscious form, "and it would be best not to leave any witnesses to our hideaway this time… You two can have the male and what's left of this one once I'm finished drinking. Hold her still!" Two more tentacles wrap around my mouth and forehead, keeping it in place.

"Lira, no!" Ri screams before he's muzzled as well. He squirms and jerks around like a feral, crazy animal, enough give Omastar some trouble keeping him in his hold.

"You may want to knock the strength out of that one a bit more before you eat; you don't want him fighting you on the way down," Kabutops chuckles at his own small joke. "Use Ancient Power. Rock-type moves are sure to do damage against these Fighting-types."

He and one of the Omastar use that move, slamming multiple rocks at both of us. The thing is, it doesn't actually hurt very much. Rock-type moves are next to useless against Fighting-types. Kabutops was wrong- it's the other way around.

So, if he and the Omastar are not just Water-types, but Rock-types as well, that means…

Wriggling one wrist around, I place my hand flat against the tentacle holding it and use Force Palm. The power packed behind that moves caused a brilliant light to flash and I feel it release that arm. Two of the other tentacles slacken their grips and I manage to grab hold of this Omastar by them and use Circle Throw to toss him directly at Kabutops.

I've earned the element of surprise. The Omastar is knocked out right after just from those two combined moves. Seeing this, Ri takes advantage of the other dumbfounded Omastar lackey and does the same with those exact results. "Good thinking."

"But- but how?!" stutters Kabutops, getting back up angrily.

I smirk, "You're not very bright, are you?" I get into stance along with Ri, "I think it's high time we showed you just exactly what fighting-types are capable of." Leaping up in the air, we both come down to strike at him with a Hi Jump Kick, each landing a tremendous blow.

Kabutops is sent flying back, his head slamming into a boulder. I prepare to launch an Aura Sphere at him, not a large one like before, just one big enough to conk him out. "And one more thing; we're _no one's_ lunch!"

His eyes widen at seeing the glowing ball of energy. I wind up not having to use it at all, because he uses his speed to _his_ advantage in order to get away, leaving his KO'd friends behind. Huh, so much for loyalty.

"Chatot!" Ri and I race over to our Guild companion upon hearing a low moan, "Chatot! Are you alright? Stay with us!"

"Chatot!" We both look back to see the Wigglytuff running toward us, concerned for his fallen friend. To our surprise and happiness, Grovyle is with him, following close behind.

"That voice… Guildmaster…" he gets out as we help him to his feet. Wigglytuff looks over at him before getting out an Oran Berry and some other first-aid supplies. Meanwhile, we've got even more company; the rest of the apprentices have made it as well.

"G-Grovyle!" screams Loudred.

"What's Grovyle doing with the Guildmaster?!" questions Chimecho.

"I'll explain later, right now this is more important!" hollers Wigglytuff, "Chatot! Can you hear me? Are you ok?"

Chatot manages to laugh a little, "I'm fine… I'm hale and hearty, as you can see…"

"If only I got here earlier…"

"Please don't blame yourself Guildmaster, but… this is so humiliating! To be knocked out by the same enemies… _again!_"

"That's not true," he retorts, giving him the berry and seeing to the worst of the damage, "You were knocked out instantly, so you probably don't remember this, Chatot, but when Kabutops gang sprang out at us, you shielded me from the attack. I managed to send them packing after that, but if you hadn't, it would've been me instead. I owe you my life."

"What…"

"And don't forget," Ri states, "You shielded us too. Lira and I might not have gotten the best of them like we did is you hadn't."

"We owe you our thanks too," I add, giving him a nod of respect, something I never thought I'd do in this lifetime.

… Oh no. They'll probably be an apocalypse or something now.

"Chatot," Wigglytuff smiles while not even trying to hide back his worry and despair for his friend, "You might not be the toughest Pokemon, and you certainly aren't the life of any parties, but you're my invaluable partner."

Chatot, looks up at him, blinking in surprise, "I… I am privileged to hear such words, Guildmaster. I…" he passes out again before he can finish talking.

"Everyone, stay calm!" orders Grovyle as people start to panic, even the Guildmaster, in his concern, seems to have allowed his worry to get the best of him. Grovyle kneels beside Chatot, checking for a pulse and examining the full extent of the damage, "Yes, he'll live. He still has time, but you have to get him back to the Guild now!"

"We'll take Chatot," says the Guildmaster, already carrying him with the help of Croagunk, "but as for you, Lira, and Ri, you three must keep going."

"But-" Ri begins.

"Chatot will be fine; we'll take care of him. Besides, if you don't go on from here, his shielding you will have been for nothing. The strange pattern is up ahead. Now, hurry!"

"Thank you, Wigglytuff," Grovyle looks to the both of us and gestures us onward, "Let's go."

"Good luck!" shouts the Guildmaster after us, "Find the Hidden Land!"

I can't believe it when I find myself worrying about Chatot too. Yes, he's as annoying as can be, but it's nothing I'd want to see him hurt over. Maybe a few harmless pranks now and then, sure but anything but this. _Chatot,_ I think,_ you better pull through._ I remind myself of what the Guildmaster said and try convincing myself that if he made it once he can make it again. All I need to focus on now though is making sure his protection of us wasn't in vain.

"Grovyle," Ri asks as we run, "How did you know to join us here?"

"Wigglytuff brought me," he answers, "Apparently he had been looking for me, and once he found me, he asked me to go with him. He said you two were close to finding the Hidden Land, which worked out fine, because I planned to join you anyway."

"You mean you've collected all the Time Gears?" I ask, grinning with hope.

He smirks and tosses me a small pouch, "See for yourself."

I catch it in midair and take a beak inside, my spirits lifting upon seeing all five within. Ri looks to and shouts, "Yes! All we have to do now if get to the Hidden Land!"

After about ten minutes more of running, we finally come to a chamber within the cave, with a large opening that lets out to sea. We've been in here awhile, almost a full day by the way the sun has drastically lowered. It's nearly evening now. The cave mouth opens wide to the ocean.

"We probably couldn't see this outside because it was in the shadows," Ri deduces.

"The tide rises up to here from that gap in the walls," adds Grovyle knowingly.

All three of us make a one hundred and eighty degree turn to face the rock wall. My jaw drops at seeing the large pattern dug into the side of it- the exact pattern as Ri's Relic Fragment, just like we had been told. There's no mistaking it.

There's just one thing missing. There's a hole of some sorts in the middle of the pattern, as if it's incomplete. It's like a chunk of the rock has been chiseled off by mistake. Ri tilts his head to the side, takes a look at the spot, then peers down at his Relic Fragment. Pulling it free, as if already knowing what to do, he fits it in place within that spot.

It's a perfect fit.

All of a sudden, the pattern begins to glow, flashing a vivid blue. I can sense the strong aura radiating from it, more powerful and potent than any psychic or magic. All three of us step back in awe, waiting. We cover our eyes as a sudden beam of light shoots from it and out towards the sea, like a shooting star or laser bolt.

"What… what was that?" asks Grovyle.

"Wait…" Ri steps closer to the shoreline, "No… it can't be… Hey, Lira, isn't that the same Pokemon we thought we saw yesterday at the beach?"

I step forward beside him and look in amazement to find that he's right. "It's coming closer. It's swimming toward us…"

We step back as a large, Water-type Pokemon with a grey shell on her back swims up to the coast. Grovyle seems skeptical, but Ri and I aren't afraid. We can sense the gentleness and compassion within her. She smiles at us warmly, as a mother might her children, "Ri… Lira…" she greets in a sweet, soothing voice, "and Grovyle… correct?"

"You know our names?" Ri questions in shock as he reclaims his Relic Fragment.

"Yes, I was informed by Wigglytuff."

"That pattern on the wall shot a beam of light out to sea. You appeared right after that. Can you tell us who you are?"

"Certainly; I am Lapras. I am the guide to the Hidden Land."

"Really? You can take us to the Hidden Land?" I smile.

"You unleashed the beam of light. That is the signal for gaining entry to the Hidden Land. It is beyond the sea. Step onto my back and I will carry you across." Seeing our hesitation, she giggles, "Don't be afraid. I'm exceptional. I can carry you all and more on my back."

…

It was a few hours later. We were still sailing and it was a pretty night. After Ri had asked how Lapras had known the Guildmaster, she had said that she came to the cave to find him near tears over Chatot's unconscious form many years ago when he had shielded him from Kaputop's gang. "I actually didn't intend to reveal myself at all, but I changed my mind the instant I saw Chatot on the ground. I simply had to help. Afterward, I made Wigglytuff promise me something."

"A promise?"

"Yes. All I asked was that he not investigate the pattern, for the sake of the world's peace. I could tell that they were an exploration team, but I didn't know their intentions. Wigglytuff promised to honor my request, most agreeably. He said he owed me thanks, coming to Chatot's aid and that he would stop all investigations into the matter."

"Why didn't you want anyone to investigate the pattern?" Ri inquires.

"In the Hidden Land is Temporal Tower where Dialga reigns. Dialga feared intruders could wreak havoc at the tower that regulates time, so he protects it and had hid the Hidden Land in a gap in time. It's hard to explain but… it is a gap in time itself; it's the space between part of a split second."

"I see," muses Grovyle, "No wonder the place couldn't be found. A gap in time… no one could ever hope to go to such a place."

"No. Dialga left one key for entering the Hidden Land. That's a special fragment with a mysterious pattern etched into it. You're fragment, Ri. Wigglytuff had connected it and the Hidden Land with the pattern and had come to me to explain the situation. The Relic Fragment chooses who will go to the Hidden Land."

"How can it choose on its own?" I ask.

"Much like how you two can sense the aura within others, so can the fragment," Lapras answers, "It prevents those with darkness in their hearts from entering Temporal Tower. It could sense the purity of heart within Ri, and his heart resonated with it." She looks away from us and turns her face up to the moon. "You three should get some sleep. You've had a long day and I feel your struggles haven't ended just yet."

Changing positions, the three of us each lie down close to the middle of Lapras's back, knowing that even if any of us managed to roll off, we'll be safe with her watching us. I can't really fall asleep though; my nerves are too racked up. We're finally going to the Hidden Land. We're finally going to save the future.

After a while of tossing and turning, I finally give up and quietly search through our bag, careful not to wake Ri and Grovyle up. I eventually find what I'm looking for and cradle it in my hands.

I smile down at the tiny crystal, watching it as it glistens in the moonlight. I had nearly forgotten about it, but I guess now I'm calm enough to find my thoughts turning to things like this. I tie it around my neck by its cord, still keeping hold of it even as it rests against my heart.

"It's pretty on you," someone whispers. I blink down to see Ri watching me.

"Sorry, I thought you were-"

"Asleep? No, I can't sleep either. I'm too excited." He sits up and we lean against each other, back to back, looking up at the stars. I think a meteor shower has started, because I'm certain I see one of two zoom by. "How far do you think we'll have to go?"

"Since no one's found the way before now, I'd say a while. We may not even get there until morning."

"You packed enough food then, right?"

I chuckle softly, "Leave it to you to think of your stomach. I hope you know I'd kick you off of here and make you swim for a while if it weren't for the sure fact the Lapras would just catch you." He sticks his tongue out at me and I just laugh some more before scooting closer toward the water and squirt some in his face. Soon, we're waging a water war of sorts, splashing each other until we're almost soaked to the bone.

"You two. Sleep. _Now_," orders a tired Grovyle, blocking a few sprits of water with the leave appendages on his arms, but otherwise keeping still and trying to rest.

"Sorry, Grovyle," we apologize in unison as Lapras chuckles at the three of us.

"And yet, Ri, technically, you're the oldest while I have to be the adult here," he mutters as we both lay back down.

Once the laughter had died, I close my eyes, concentrating on the rocking motion of the waves, the sound they make as they gently slap against one another, the scent of the ocean filling my senses. It's more like meditation, but I find myself easier to relax this way. Meanwhile, my companions still manage to get to sleep before I do.

But as I finally find myself heading into a blissful slumber, I feel the softest of nuzzles at my forehead. Instinctively, I find myself nuzzling back and curl up by the form snoozing next to me.

_((__**Author's Notes**__**: **__I know that the fight was kind of short, but it was for me in the game because I have a Riolu for a partner in it… What was really bad was that I play a Vulpix, a Fire-type, and still kicked their butts. Kabutops and Omastar bros got pwned! XD)) _


	33. At the Old Ruins

_((__**Review Replies**__**:**_

_**SDP**__**: **__I just love Grovyle at that part. In their future, Ri had typically been the leader, and now Grovyle is seeing him as this playful, fun-loving, youth and it's very different for him._

_**TheHuntressofstories**__**: **__Yes! XD But then, I admit, I had the move Imprison, which helped out a lot. They were exactly able to do much and then my partner just wiped the floor with the two Omastars. It took about one move each to knock them out in his case. He would get -238 and I was lucky if I took away 40 HP._

_I can play Gameboy games on my DS so I'll try to look up Red or Blue Rescue. I've fallen in love with Pokemon games all over again. I don't have a 3DS though, so I'll have to still out on Gates to Infinity, but meh- that's what watching walkthroughs on YouTube is for, lol.)) _

"Grovyle," I address as we eat our midday meal. We've still been at sea for a while now, without any land in sight, "How is it that Temporal Tower had already begun to be destroyed? How did this all start to begin with?"

"No one knows," he replies, "All we do know is that time began to stop long before the first Time Gear was taken from Treeshroud Forest. Temporal Tower and the Hidden Land being destroyed is only proof of that, which means Dialga has begun changing into Primal Dialga."

"Will he already be like he was in the future?"

"No, his state of mind won't be that severe, but Dialga's not going to make putting the Time Gears in place easy for the three of us. Dialga will come at us as hard as he can to try to stop us."

"But what should we do?"

He keeps his voice as stern and calm as it possibly can be for what he suggests next, "We'll have to knock Dialga out."

I'm speechless by his idea. Just the thought of taking on a legendary like Dialga seems unfathomable. I'm about to retort, but when I realize we don't have much of another way , I keep my mouth shut. Legendary or not, we'll have to try.

After Ri gets over his own sense of fear, he gulps, "Looks like Team Crusade is on a real crusade this time, huh?" looking up ahead, he asks, "Hey, Lapras?"

"Yes?"

"You've been swimming a long time. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Ri. No need for concern, because we're almost there. It's just now coming into view." All three of us stand, curious, and gaze around her neck to look out to the ocean, "On the far horizon. Do you see where the sea looks a little different? It is the border of the gap in time. That is the portal through which we will go to the Hidden Land."

Suddenly, she begins to pick up pace. The change in speed nearly makes me slip, but two pairs of arms quickly grab hold of me so I won't fall. "Alright, I'm heading in."

And then she actually lifts over the water, floating a foot or so above it and slowly gaining altitude. "Are we flying?!" Ri yells, watching in awe.

"No, although it feels like it," answers Grovyle, "Now we're crossing the sea of time!"

"After we finish crossing, the Hidden Land is just ahead," Lapras adds.

As it comes into view, a flash of light blinding us for a moment, the sight of the hidden Land catches my breath. It's like something only read about in books. The land itself seems to hag suspended in the air, levitating in a never ending void of swirling clouds. A brilliant jungle, with plants and trees I've never seen before, grows lush and makes up for most of the terrain. We can see the ruins, ancient, but awe-inspiring. And then Temporal Tower, loaming over it all, casts a shadow… powerful, strong, majestic- there's no real words that can begin to describe it.

"We're almost there, Lira!" Ri exclaims, grabbing my attention.

"Yeah…" That's all I can really say at this moment.

All of a sudden, I find myself thinking of everything we've been through together, Ri and I, that has lead us up to this point. A strange girl was found on a beach by a Riolu to discover she had turned into a Pokemon without any memories. Those two Riolu became Team Crusade. They saved a lot of people, helped a lot of Pokemon, succeeded in many missions, and became best friends. They trained hard to earn their place in Wigglytuff's Guild. They went into the future and discovered who they are and who they will be. And now they're off to stop the planet's paralysis. That's a lot for two people who, at the beginning, had nothing but courage and a little hope.

"…Ri?"

"What's up?"

"There are still some gaps in my mind, from where I can't remember everything, but I do know one thing. And that's that we're going to save the world and everyone in it. Dialga can try to stand in our way, but we won't let him. Right?"

"Right, Lira," he blinks at me, then smiles, "Hey, maybe once we get home, we'll need to take a vacation from all of this, just for a little while. I think saving the planet is more than enough to say we deserve one."

I chortle, "So after this, you'll have had enough exploring for a little while then." Turning around, I see Grovyle watching me, a glint of sadness in his eyes that he quickly covers. I almost forgot and for a moment feel ashamed. Grovyle's my friend too, even if I don't remember our lives together entirely. After this is all over, he'll probably want to go back to our own time, and wouldn't he want me to go back with him? It wouldn't be right to leave his side after everything. In his point of view, he's finally found his best friend and now is about to lose her again. Can I really put him through that? And it would be unfair of me to ask him to stay here in the past.

But Ri… I can't leave him either. It would be the same for him. He has a life, a family, and friends in the Guild. Asking him to return to the future would be equally as bad. Either way, I'm robbing someone of their lives. I can't do that to either of them, but I do have to make a choice. How can I leave either of them behind though, the two people I care about most in my life?

_Stop thinking about that!_ I command myself, _Concentrate on getting to Temporal Tower and beating Dialga. That's the priority._ I'm have to push the question aside for later. First things first, after all, but then it won't make the decision any easier.

"This is as far as I can take you. Please, look ahead," Lapras says as we land on solid ground. We do and I find myself gaping. I was wrong before. Temporal Tower isn't in the Hidden Land; it's above it, floating over a small mountain range to be exact on an island of rock. It hadn't seemed like that earlier while we were flying. Above even the tower, a storm of sorts has begun to form. A vortex of dark red has started to appear, swirling in a mass with lighting striking from it.

"That place seems to be floating in the sky," Ri states, "How are we supposed to get up there?"

"Use the path up ahead. Follow it and you will come to the old ruins. There, you will find the Rainbow Stoneship," she tells us.

"The Rainbow Stoneship?" I look to Grovyle to explain.

"It's the first I've heard of this as well," he answers.

"It's an ancient, mystical vessel," Lapras explains, "It will take you to Temporal Tower."

"Thank you, Lapras!" Ri bows his head at her.

"I only wish I could do more, but from here you're on your own. Good luck."

…

"It's incredible! Look at it, Lira!" Ri hollers in amazement, examining the paintings and carvings dug into the walls once we reach a tunnel that leads to the ruins. Mainly, they're of legendries such as Mew and Groudon. One if even of Dialga and Palkia, back to back, defining them as the guardians of time and space.

"It's like Lapras said, the old ruins," Grovyle adds, "The Rainbow Stoneship should be here."

As we finally see a light up ahead, we come to a ziggurat like temple. Despite how it's no doubt been here for an eternity and longer, it seems in perfect shape. It's as if someone was actually taking care of it all these years. We head up the marble steps and reach the top to find the exact same pattern as before engraved into the top of it, covering the entire base. A plaque, facing the direction of Temporal Tower, catches my attention.

I run over to it and stare at the strange symbols on them. They aren't in footprint ruins, that much I can tell, not that I would be able to translate that anyway. I raise an eyebrow, "What's this? These strange markings?"

Grovyle walks up behind me for a look, "Those are letters from the ancient language of the Unown."

"Can you read them, Grovyle?" Ri asks.

"Yes, I can, thanks to all the research I did when I was working in the future. Lira and I…" he looks over to me.

I look to the ground, a bit of sorrow and self mourning stirring within, "But I can't remember… I'm sorry."

"Hurry up and read it, Grovyle!" Ri exclaims.

He smirks at him, "Now don't rush me. Don't be so impatient and give me a minute." He steps forth and stares long and hard at the runes, thinking. Ri is about to speak up again when he finally says, "… I think I've got it. According to this, it would seem that the temple itself is the Rainbow Stoneship."

"What do you mean?"

He walks away, back towards the center of the temple, and brushes away a collective amount of dust from what we find is an indentation. "It's similar in design to the pattern from Brine Cave. Ri, I want you to place your Relic Fragment right here. It is inscribed on the stone that doing just that will cause the Rainbow Stoneship to start up and then bring us over to Temporal Tower."

"Really?!"

"Go ahead, Ri!" I urge on, "We can't waste a minute!"

He's about to put it in when suddenly a new voice stops him, making us freeze in place as well. "That's quite enough of that!" We look around for the speaker, but in his place six Sableye run up the steps to surround us on all sides. Then that deep, familiar laugher sounds through as Dusknoir himself scrolls right behind them.

"How did you get here?" Grovyle demands, snarling.

"Quite simple actually," he replies with a humph, "I had Master Dialga warp us here directly. After all, I knew that you would inevitably come here, so I figured I'd spare the trouble of looking for you and wait here instead. Ha! So _close_, but unfortunately, you are coming back to the future with me. Sableye, take them to the dimensional hole!"

We try pushing them back with regular attacks at first, but we they still manage to drag us down the opposite way we came to the transdimensional vortex below. Just before they can push us in, all three of us launch a powerful attack straight at them, tossing them away from us.

"Well, well… You display some feeble resistance, knowing that it's futile?"

"You expected anything less?" Grovyle replies.

"Then you leave me no choice," he joins in amongst the Sableye, taking the lead, "I'll simply defeat you here, then drag your corpses back to the future. That should put out any last quiver of hope of changing the future that your rebellious friends may also have. It makes no difference to me. The odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you. How much resistance can you even serve up? Show me. Swarm them!"

The Sableye group in closer together, sealing off any room for retreat. One of them lunges at us, ready to unleash a frenzy of Fury Swipes. I step forward and quickly use Foresight before firing off an Aura Sphere at him.

It hits its mark dead on.

"_How?!_" Dusknoir exclaims upon seeing one of his Sableye down. The others stare at their comrade, mouths agape. "You're Force-types. That should've had no effect!"

"Let's just say we've learned a few new tricks since we've last met," I answer, smirking.

He glares daggers at me, "No matter. Whether or not you can use your moves makes little difference. You're still coming with me, dead or alive." He makes a go for me using Shadow Punch, but I dive and roll out of the way in the nick of time. The collision of his fist with the ground, I believe, nearly cracks it. Spinning back around, I fire off another Aura Sphere. It misses Dusknoir and instead hits another Sableye, sending the diamond-eyed creature sprawling.

Grovyle use Dig to prepare to flank them from some unknown location, but I watch as two Sableye also burrow down into the earth after him. I hope he'll be alright down there. Sableye make their homes in caves and underground; it could prove challenging fighting them in their kind of environment.

Ri also uses Foresight and joins my side. Getting back to back, we link our arms together as another one of Dusknoir's lackeys charges us. He bends forward, allowing me to lean back and let out a tremendous kick at our next attacker. Then, letting go, he zooms up to the nearest one following to use Force Palm, bashing him back.

The first Sableye that had dealt damage from Aura Sphere gets up, rubbing the back of his head, before using Faint Attack on Ri. Not a second after he strikes, Ri uses Circle Throw to send him flying and crashing into the wall nearby where I lay.

Getting the best of me from behind, Dusknoir uses Shadow Sneak, and once I've fallen waste no time to grab me by one leg and swing me against the temple. My spine collides with the wall and I stiffen from the injury as I hit the ground hard, grunting.

While Dusknoir faces off with me, the remaining Sableye circle around Ri, separating us. I know what they're doing- trying to divide us in order to take us out easier. Letting out an angry cry, I charge, preparing to use Force Palm. Dusknoir blinks at me before his single eye narrows and he also gets ready to strike.

I flip over him just before I can get too close. I smile at the thought of what bewilderment he might be feeling as I complete the motion and land directly behind one of the Sableye, placing my hand against his back to land the blow.

Soon after, the two Sableye from earlier erupt from the ground, screaming as they soar high into the air. One of them catches himself and lands on his hands, pushing himself up to spring back on his feet. The other doesn't get so lucky and crashes into the surface. I hear something snap and believe he's broken a bone. He's not dead; I can sense that, but he won't be getting back up for a little while at least.

Grovyle then unleashes the power of his Dig, now free of completing that move, upon the other Sableye. Covered in dirt and panting, he swiftly turns and uses Bullet Seed on the rest. Ri and I have enough time to get down and duck as he hits his targets.

Then Ri is pull away from me by his feet. Looking back, I see that Dusknoir has him. He rips off Ri's Relic Fragment from around his neck before tossing him aside like a piece of trash. "If I were to take this back to the future with me," he muses aloud, "then no one would ever be able to get near Temporal Tower."

"Over my dead body you will!" I yell at him, lifting myself up to pounce. Someone pulls be back from behind and I spin around just for a Sableye to use Shadow Claw, raking me across the face and jerking my head to one side. It's a critical hit. Before I can counter, he knees me in the gut and throws me forward.

Dusknoir catches me by my arms and laughs, "As you wish then." He uses Shadow Punch once more before swinging me against the temple wall again and again. I feel as if my brain is rattling in my skull as I take hit after hit. Apparently feeling that I'm too disoriented to move or fight back, he releases me, dropping me on the ground, and he starts to use Dark Pulse. At this close range, just like all those years ago, I can't avoid it. I try summoning up a wall of protective aura, but none comes. I close my eyes shut. _This is going to hurt!_

And it does. I cry out as the attack hits with full power. I'm forced back once again against the wall, carried there by the force behind the blast. Once it's over, my head starts pounding. I can't even lift myself up.

I'm picked up by the scruff of my neck and thrown. Slowly cracking my eyes open, I see that I'm flying straight for the dimensional hole. For once, I wish gravity was on my side, because I can't force my direction back down to the earth instead.

Something solid blocks my path to it. "Gotcha!" Ri, having recovered from Dusknoir's attack and found a way around the Sableye, jumps up and grabs me before I can soar into the hole. Setting me down, he asks, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, but we have to get your Relic Fragment back," suddenly, I look down to see he's holding his paw against my chest. His eyes and hand are glowing with blue aura. And then, miraculously, I feel my strength returning a little. I look up to him in question.

"You didn't think you were the only one practicing your use of aura, did you?" he smirks, "This is just a little something I learned from reading one of my dad's old books. Took me long enough to pick it up, but it was worth it."

Grovyle fights his way through the Sableye and to us. Only five of them now are fit for battle, but they're relentless. They block our way and behind them, I see Dusknoir floating towards the dimensional hole. If we don't stop him soon, the Relic Fragment will be lost. "We've got to show them what we're made of, understand?" he says to us.

"Right!"

Ri, using Bone Rush, charges two of the Sableye and fights off their Fury Swipes. Grovyle uses Bullet Seed again to mow them down. Meanwhile, I land a Hi Jump Kick and join Ri in the thick of things, only fighting with them hand to hand. The sudden change of tide has only given us a fiercer determination to win. Eventually, we fight our way through.

"Not so fast, Dusknoir!" Grovyle says, holding him by the ghost tail. Dusknoir turns back to spot the three of us, panting, but otherwise alright, "I wouldn't dream of letting you go."

"So it seems that you have defeated the Sableye," he looks back to his beaten lackeys and chuckles, "Ooh, nicely done. You three have really grown!" He spins around rapidly, shaking us off and sending us into the air.

Quickly, we get back up. As Dusknoir begins to use Dark Pulse, Ri uses Bone Rush and runs straight for him. Grovyle charges as well, using Leaf Blade. As the only one without a melee move, I use Aura Sphere. Our attacks all strike at once, hitting their marks.

The difference is, we win.

We're still tense, but we stare down at Dusknoir and the Sableye. Ri hops over and tears the Relic Fragment out of his grasp, "_That_ would be mine."


	34. Truth

Dusknoir groans in a heap on the ground, but shaking with rage, he pushes himself up, "I refuse to be defeated by some moronic, tree-stalking scoundrel and two overly annoying brats!" Tired as we are, he catches us off guard and swiftly rams into all three of us, beating us back. We get back on our feet as he continues, "You're still so foolhardy. You dared to challenge me? For all the effort in the world, with all your puny power, you had no chance of winning from the start!"

"Don't give up!" Grovyle encourages us, "There's a way out of this!"

"That's easy for you to say…" Ri mutters, rubbing his sore arm.

"I must admit, you've done admirably well for those as pitiful as you," Dusknoir says, "but it's all over now. I'm through playing games!" The mouth pattern on his chest open up and my eyes widen, recalling that day in the woods when Dusknoir first became an enemy to me. And he was only stronger now than before. This next move would be much more destructive than his Dark Pulse. "This is the end for you!"

Grovyle latches onto a nearby pillar as the wind rips away at us. Ri and I don't understand what's going on at first until we discover that it's all Dusknoir's doing. The mouth is acting as a black hole, sucking everything in as a massive ball of energy collects inside it. I feel my feet drag across the ground as the power of it pulls me forward.

Grovyle lurches Ri and I back, and we hold onto him and the pillar. If a person or Pokemon were to get sucked in… Well, I didn't really want to think about that. We hold on for dear life as its pull only grows stronger. If we don't do something soon, we'll either be taken down into the black hole or wind up vaporized by the upcoming attack.

"Ri! Grovyle! We've only got one chance! We have to combine our moves and force them down into that vortex! Ri, use Copycat to mimic my Aura Sphere. Grovyle, use Energy Ball."

"Is that even possible? That power…" Grovyle looks up at Dusknoir, "If we don't do this just right, that move could wind up absorbing all of our power!"

"There's no time!" Ri shouts, "Lira's right! It's our one shot!" I've already begun building up my aura and have one taking shape in one hand already. Ri copies me quickly.

"Take this! Face my Shadow Ball!" Dusknoir screams at us, launching the massive sphere.

"Now!" I yell. All three of us fire away at once on my command. The four balls of energy collide into a brilliant clash of power beyond believe, struggling with each other like two magnets. I can feel the force behind them vibrating the air. Grovyle's arms goes over Ri and I, as if that would shield us if our counterattack fails.

But it doesn't. The three moves push back Dusknoir's Shadow Ball to instead crash right back at him. He screams with agony as all four spheres strike as a whole. When Grovyle sets us free from his hold, I look in shock to find Dusknoir lying on the ground, near death. I'm surprised to see him breathing at all, after that last attack.

"We… we did it," Ri pants.

"It can't be…" begins one Sableye, shivering with fear, "M-master, Dusknoir, no… He's down! Lord Dusknoir was defeated!" All of them look to each other before taking off into the dimensional hole, obviously not wanting to fight any further with the ones who bested their commanding officer.

"Humph. Your Sableye ran off," Grovyle says, "You just have no luck attracting reliable allies, do you?" Dusknoir just moans in response, unable to speak or move. The Grass-type shakes his head and faces my other companion, "Ri, go to the top of the temple. Put the Relic Fragment in that hollow spot. I want you to check if the Rainbow Stoneship actually works. Meanwhile, Lira and I will keep an eye on Dusknoir here."

"Ok," he speeds off to do just that.

"I hope it activates…" Dusknoir moans again, this time struggling to lift his head. "_Don't_ move!" Grovyle warns him harshly.

"Grovyle… Lira…" he addresses, pain obvious in his voice, "Are you sure you want to do this? Is this… Ugh…. Is this really what you want? If history is changed… then all of the Pokemon in the future will disappear…"

This news takes me aback. Everyone in the future will disappear?! Nobody told me that! I don't remember that! "Shut up!" Grovyle shouts at him, watching me from the corner of his eye, "Lira, don't pay any attention to a word he says!"

"Grovyle… Is what Dusknoir saying true…? It's not, right?"

He's not the only one to see that I'm stunned. Dusknoir, ignoring Grovyle's order, looks me in the eyes and continues, "Of course… Since you're from the future, that means you'll disappear as well. Since we come from a future that will cease to exist, we too will cease to exist. Is that really what you want?" he repeats.

"But… but…" I shake my head, unable to speak, staring hard at the ground as my brows furrow. Wait… I look over slowly to Grovyle to find him staring at me in despair. "Grovyle… you knew about this didn't you? A-And you didn't tell me?"

He visibly flinches at the bitterness and betrayal that's in the tone. "… I thought… I thought I could protect you, by-"

"By what?! Keeping it a _secret_ from me?! _Lying_ to me?!" I boldly step closer to him and shove him in the chest, sending him back a step, "Why? I… We've been friends since I was a little girl, I've trusted you for so long, and… and now this? _Why_ would you keep something like this from me?"

"Because I didn't want you to know! Because I didn't want you to see it coming when it happened!" he screams at me, grabbing my wrist, calming down some he looks to the earth in shame, "Because I wanted to spare you from feeling all the fear and regret that comes with knowing. If we were going to go, I wanted you go feeling happy instead of afraid and full of hurt. I thought that, if you didn't know what was happening, you would at least go at peace. But I despite how much I want to, I can't save you from this… And I can't hide the fact any longer."

"Lira! Grovyle! Hurry up!" Ri shouts from above.

"It's all true, Lira. If we change history, we will disappear, but that doesn't matter. If it means restoring time and bringing peace to the world and all of the Pokemon that live within it. It's what we came here to do. Celebi too… She helped us knowing that she will disappear if we succeed."

"_Besides, if you would be so kind as to prevent the planet's paralysis, we'll finally be spared the agony of this world of darkness. My dear Grovyle, I devote my whole life to achieve that end!"_ her words echo in my mind.

"When I came to this world, I saw the sunrise for the very first time. And I saw the beauty of life surrounding me everywhere, as far as the eye could see. But in the future, we've all lost our desire to live, and if we could somehow change the future's world of darkness, then I'd give my life for it.

"And Lira… You came with that same resolve, even if you can't remember it. We came from the future fully accepting what would happen to us. I know that this is coming as a great shock to you, making it difficult for you to hear, but we have no choice in the matter either way. If we don't act, time will be destroyed. The planet's paralysis will begin. To bring peace to the world… we have to disappear. Our lives will be lost, but the future will be saved for everyone. You and I both came here fully prepared for that sacrifice. Please, Lira, I'm begging you, try to understand."

I look away and make him let go of me, thinking to myself… So that's how it always was. I can here to save the future, knowing it only meant that I would never have one. And Grovyle too… I clench my fists, steadying myself. _We have to_, I think. Grovyle wouldn't make me do this otherwise. I've seen the future and I never want to go back there again. There's no life worth living in that horror.

"I understand, Grovyle," I look back to him, "… And I think I still do accept that fact."

"Lira…"

"I mean it, I really do," my voice grows firmer, "Time mustn't stop! Even if it means the end of us, we have to ensure that!"

"Lira," Dusknoir interrupts, "Are you just as insane as he is? Think of what you're doing?"

"Someone once told me that we're all faced with hard decisions, but it takes the strongest of people to make the _right_ decisions in the toughest of situations, even if it means sacrifice. Isn't that what you once said, Dusknoir?"

"But… there is one thing that's troubling me," Grovyle says. I look up to him, confused, "One thing that's changed for us since we came to this world."

"What?"

"In the future, we were completely prepared for all of this, and we had absolutely nothing to lose and nothing to go back to; _nothing._"

"Lira! Grovyle! What are you guys doing?!" Ri yells.

"We'll be there shortly!" I yell back.

Grovyle sighs, "But Lira… This changed for you when you first became a Pokemon. This difference is that now, in this present day, you have Ri."

"Huh?"

"You see, you've found a friend and partner and Ri, and he in you, although it wasn't meant to be except for many years from now. Ri looks up to you. He's gotten quite close to you, and if he found out that you were to disappear, that this was to be the end for you, it would be so… so very sad. I'm certain he would be crushed.

"Ri has a good spirit. I knew it from the day we met, even in the corruptible future. But if the future is to be altered and you disappear, your partner, Ri, he… he will be left all alone."

"Ri…" I think about it for a moment before I realize I'm thinking out loud, "I… I can make him understand. He _will_ understand. If I just talk to him-"

"No, Lira! You can't. If you tell Ri anything about this, his own resolve in this matter may be shattered, and that's something we cannot risk."

"He find out eventually…" I say in a sorrowful whisper.

"Yes, I know… but by then, the deed will have already been done. I'm so sorry, but this is how it must be. To tell Ri that is to break his heart. When the time comes, he's bound to know."

"… So what do I do then?"

"The only thing you can; make the most of these last moments with him. Don't fight with him, don't argue, don't even so much as tease, so when it finally happens…" he sighs, "He will at least have his last moments with you to be good ones to cherish."

I find myself blinking rapidly. The scenery starts to blur, but I refuse to cry. I shouldn't be crying anyway, should I?

A blue light appears overhead and I feel a strong essence of aura again. Ri must have now activated the Rainbow Stoneship. It magical sound fills the air. "That noise… it has to be the Rainbow Stoneship activating," Grovyle steps by me, "Ri's done it!"

The next thing I'm aware of is something knocking the air out of my lungs, sending me flying back. The air wisps out of my lungs as I collapse on the ground, gripping my abdomen. Glaring back up, I see that, while we've been busying talking, Dusknoir have gained enough strength to fight once more.

"I won't…" he grits out, "You'll never change history!" He unleashes a Dark Pulse at me and I lift my arms up in a pathetic attempt to block to sudden move.

It never comes. Grovyle darts in front of me and takes the blast head on, shielding me with his body and screaming in pain when it hits. He kneels, grunting. "Grovyle! Are you alright?!"

"So, you shielded Lira, Grovyle," Dusknoir states, "That's taken a heavy toll on you! Very well, you're going down first!" This time though, with a cry of anger, Grovyle jumps up, flipping over Dusknoir and locking his arms behind his back to face the dimensional hole. Dusknoir attempts to struggle out of his hold but he's too weakened to do so, "Grovyle! Wh-what?! What are you doing?!"

"Ugh… Dusknoir! I'm taking you with me! We're going back to the future!"

"_What?!_" Dusknoir and I scream in unison. I run over and try to pull him away, "Grovyle, no, you can't go!"

He elbows me away, "I know that I won't ever be able to come back here again. Lira! It's up to you now!" Risking letting go of Dusknoir with one arm, he yanks free the pouch with the Time Gears in them and throws them at me, but I don't catch them. They instead crash to the ground beside me, spilling out over the stone.

"Ok, team! The Rainbow Stoneship's ready to go!" Ri appears coming down the stairs to where we are, but gazes in shock and panic at the scene, "What's happening?!"

"Ri! This is it for me! I'm taking Dusknoir back to the future. You be sure you take good care of Lira! Promise me!"

"B-but… Grovyle! I can't take your place! There's no way I can do everything you can do!"

"You must and you _will_, because you can, Ri. You're a great team and don't you ever forget that! You two are… the greatest of combinations!"

"Unhand me! Release me!" demands Dusknoir, but everyone ignores him in this standstill moment.

"Quiet! It's just a little further!" Grovyle turns to me once more, his eyes shining, "Lira… I'm happy that I got to know you. From the day we met, you provided a spark that pushed away the darkness and gave me the chance to have a life I never knew before. You showed me love, companionship, and warmth; things I never believed could have existed in such a dismal place. Please take care. Parting such sweet sorrow… I'm counting on you!"

"Grovyle, please… Please, don't do this!" I begin to shake and keen.

"Sorry for the wait, Dusknoir!" he shoves him into the dimensional hole, which pulls him in along with the Ghost-type, with Ri and I crying out his name. We catch his last words and see a single tear slide down his face before he goes, "Protect the sunrise. For everyone's sake…"

And just like that… he's gone.

"G-Grovyle… why…?" Ri steps down.

I fall to my knees, gasping and quivering all over, shaking my head. It didn't happen. This didn't just happen?! Clenching my fists, I pound them against the ground and let out a blood-curdling scream before reaching for my hair and tugging at it, as if that pain would draw any attention away from my broken heart. And I cry miserably.

It didn't even say goodbye. More than that, like an idiot, I didn't even tell him how much he meant to me. How he was my best friend and the only family I've ever truly had. And I shoved him! He's gone and during our last minutes, I accused him of being dishonest! It should've been me! I know it! Dusknoir was _aiming_ for _me_! Grovyle…. No…

I hear someone sniffle beside me and turn to see Ri, weeping, picking up the Time Gears and putting them back in their bag, "… Just wait… just wait for us in the future…" I hear him mutter through his tears, "… We'll create a better future for you and everyone else. You'll see… We'll give you a world in which you can live happily. We won't fail!"

Ri comes over and grips my arm, trying to help me up, but I shake him away. I'm too upset to even move. "Lira, if we don't go the Rainbow Stoneship may leave without us. We have to do this… for the world. For Grovyle…"

I start to cry even harder. _Ri… you don't understand_, I want to tell him, _I wish you could understand, I wish I could tell you, but once we go through with this, Grovyle and I won't exist anymore. We'll be gone forever. _

"Hey, Lira…" he wraps his arms around me, holding me close, "That last thing Grovyle said to you, parting hurts… I understand that feeling. I understand how it hurts. Grovyle was a partner to you for a long time, Lira. I think it must've hurt Grovyle terribly to leave you."

I envelope myself in his arms, resting my head against his chest. No; that wasn't what he meant. I know it in my heart. They weren't about Grovyle and I, he meant me and Ri. He said what he did, because he knew I would have to leave Ri eventually. Because when history is changed… My time together with Ri is ending…

This is our last adventure.

"Come on, Lira… We have to get to Temporal Tower." He has to pick me up and lead me back to the top of the temple. We almost don't make it on the Rainbow Stoneship in time, but once it gets going, we relax a little. "Finally… We're on our way… There's no turning back now."

No turning back…

I place my arms on his chest and look into his eyes. I'm still crying, but if I'm going to disappear, there's just one more thing I have to do. So I won't have any regrets beyond leaving Ri.

"Lira… What is it?"

I lean in with a certainty I don't actually feel. And I kiss him.

He's stunned at first and makes a noise of rejection, but quiets down when we make contact. It's not the same as with human lips, yet then again, how would I know what a kiss should be like, having only watched my parents and a few other adults do it a few times as a child before they sent me away. It's all mainly pure reaction.

Yet for what it is, it's perfect. Being this close to him and telling him everything without having to say a word.

But then he pulls me away. I look up to him, confused. He stares at me awhile before speaking, "What just happened? What was that?" He doesn't seem angry or shocked, just confused as well.

"Well… that was a kiss," I tell him softly, blushing hard and hoping I didn't do something wrong.

"A kiss?" he flusters as it seems like it's all just dawned on him, "Lira… I-" The Rainbow Stoneship stops, cutting him off. We've reached the base of Temporal Tower. "…We have to get going," he stands and helps he step off, "We'll talk about this later, but now we have to hurry."

I frown, because I know there won't be a later, not for me, but nod and follow. I didn't think that my heart could break any more than it has already been broken, yet here I am. Was I just a sorry fool for thinking it in the first place, or was he sending me mixed signals?

Maybe Grovyle was right in many other ways than what he'd just admitted to earlier. Other than this friendship I have with Ri- which I may have just ruined by accident- now I have absolutely nothing to lose.

_((__**Author's Notes**__**:**__ To pro LiraXRi people out there, about the last few paragraphs… Yeah, this is just me being mean as an author. All will be revealed in time. I wouldn't have actually said anything at all- because I might have killed it for you doing this- were it not for the fact that 1. I'm too lazy to answer questions and 2. I really don't want to talk about it now, because I'm already getting clashing ideas in my skull. There is a war in my brain surrounding the mindset I've already got.))_


	35. A Battle of Legend

And to think we had actually believed for a little while that things would be so much easier after getting here. Who exactly were we trying to fool?

It seemed that at every turn, either a Porygon, Bronzor, or Salamence had to be there to stand in our way. It was no use trying to reason with them and we were forced to battle hard, knocking them out one by one and attempting to shrug off the damage our opponents created. That wasn't the worst part though; it was the tremors. The entire tower would shake with a vengeance, a clear sign of its slow destruction. And the higher up we weren't, the seemingly worse it was. It was as if Temporal Tower itself was ordering us back.

One would think that getting to the top would come as something of a relief, but the only thing Ri and I can feel is a feeling of dread overshadowing us. "So, is this…" Ri takes a look around at the deplorable scenery of bare pillars- some broken and worn away- and cracked flooring. A cold wind rips at us, as if giving is a sign that something is stirring, "Is this the top of Temporal Tower?"

"You know, I always imagined Dialga living somewhere…" I pause a moment, looking for a polite word to describe it, "a little less rustic looking."

So, we were here. Where exactly was Dialga?

Lightning strikes the air, causing us both to cringe. Gazing upward, I can't believe how close we are to the hurricane-like vortex. It like, if you jumped, you would get sucked right in the minute you were airborne. The sky crackles with electricity and a swirling mass of crimson clouds looms, growing at an alarmingly steady rate. "It's incredible…" Ri whispers lowly before another, much more powerful tremor, rocks over the place, "The tower feels like it' going to shake apart any moment! We have to hustle!"

I nod quickly in agreement and as we rush over from the stairwell up here, we come to an arched structure with flashing, red patterns set high upon a large dais. In its center, a stone, disc- similar to a giant medallion- also glows. However, what catches our attention most is the five hollow spots gouged out of it.

"What could this be? It has a strange, mystical feel…" Ri stares up at it in wonder. My pulse speeds up at the sight, like when I saw a Time Gear for the first time with Ri at Fogbound Lake.

"Five slots…" I look over to him, "Five Time Gears."

"That right! So if we set them in the slots, it might prevent time from stopping."

"It's worth a shot."

Right when we takes our first steps up to the pattern, a bolt of lightning strikes down directly in front of us, knocking up off or feet to skid back across the ground with a cry of shock. Everything then goes dark around us, as if the vortex above had sucked in all the light of the world. How could this be happening? Temporal Tower hasn't collapsed just yet.

Wait. No, this happened once before didn't it; in the future. I swallow dryly as a low bas growl sounds around us, coming from anywhere. "So! It's you!" a powerful and terrifying god-like voice addresses, "You, who seek the destruction of Temporal Tower!"

"What?!" Ri cries out, "No, you're wrong! We're here to prevent time from stopping!"

"Time… Stopping…" the voice pauses and breaks in between words, giving off an unstable feel, "Time…" The voice then roars in absolute, pure rage.

And then suddenly he's there in a burst of light, towering over us and glaring down at us in a kind hate I never thought could be possible. Ri starts to quiver and stutters next to me, "Lira… it- it's…." his voice fails him.

"…Dialga…" I finish for him as we push ourselves up and slowly step back.

Dialga roars again, "You! You dare to bring ruin to the tower!" Something's off about him. I can feel it. It seems like the legendary were driven by another force, vying for his attention, telling him what to do and putting him on the brink of insanity.

"You don't understand," I say boldly, "We've come to help! To _prevent_ the tower from collapsing!"

"Silence!" he yells down at his, nearing shattering my ear drums, "For all those who threaten Temporal Tower…" He pauses and tilts his head sideways like someone would when trying to catch a whisper, "I will show no mercy!"

I'm about to open my mouth to speak again, but Ri stops me, "It's no use, Lira! He's not listening to us at all!"

Dialga is losing control because time is breaking down, but this isn't like the Primal Dialga in the future. He is not yet fully consumed by the power of darkness. There's still a chance he can be brought back to reason.

Then again, maybe not. We're blasted back when he uses Ancient Power, unrelentingly pounding us into the floor. We have a slight advantage- Fighting-type moves are very effective against Steel-types- but this is still a legendary we're facing. It'll take everything we've got to pull through this one.

Keeping his word of no mercy, Dialga strikes again, this time lunging forward to come at us like a batting ram. He then lifts up on his hind legs, rearing back in order to stomp us into oblivion. Both of us roll out of the way on opposite sides just in time. I feel the earth rattle from the force behind it and know we would've been killed in an instant from the blow.

Before Dialga can decide which one of us should be his first sole target, I push myself up and leap into the air to land on his back. Kneeling to place one hand along his spine, I unleash Force Palm. He cries out and gets down on one knee. Ri, seeing this, rushes over, sliding across the floor and doing the same on Dialga's unprotected stomach.

The Temporal Pokemon, newly enraged, flings me off before using Dragon Claw on Ri, hooking him upward and slashing him across the chest. I watch from my position on the ground as he soars into the air before being beat down by Dialga's tail swinging into his midsection. He'll be very lucky if that move didn't crack a few ribs.

As he's about to stomp down Ri, I quickly stand and launch an Aura Sphere at him, striking him in the face. "Come on, Chrome-dome!" I taunt, egging him on in order to buy Ri some time to get back on his feet, "Let's see what you've got!"

I scream as I face the full blast of Dragon Breath, unable to veer out of the way in time when Dialga opened his mighty jaws. I feel as if I'm being burnt alive, but I know it's not fire.

Alright, maybe this isn't my brightest of ideas, but at least it's working. _Come on, Ri! Get up! _Getting back up and rubbing my arm, I look up to find Dialga smirking at me. I simply smirk back, catching him off guard, "That tickled."

I only succeed in ticking him off further. Dialga charges at me like something savage and I can feel the burning fury radiating from him like a furnace. "Insolent child! I'll make you _suffer_!" I jump up to try to flip over him, but when he does the same, I'm head-butted back towards the earth.

Dialga picks me up by my tail, holding me with his teeth, and I start to trash in his grasp. He chuckles devilishly and causally walks over to the edge of Temporal Tower. I can hardly see where the treetops begin through a thin, swirling mist of clouds. Just to show how high up we truly are.

"_I wonder…_" Dialga says to me through the use of telepathy, _"I wonder how long it will take before you go 'splat' at the bottom…"_

"_Drop her. Drop her NOW!" _another voice bursts out, confusing me for a moment, _"Before her little friend gets up! Finish her! End her! Don't let her destroy time!"_

I send another Aura Sphere into Dialga's face and succeed in punching him in the nose, the second voice providing an excellent distraction. Still, it doesn't make him let me go. Letting out a low, irritated growl, he holds me out over the edge.

Then Ri shows up, hopping up onto Dialga's back and giving me a wink. As the legendry's head jerks back, Ri uses Screech to lower his defenses before using Reversal against him. Dialga grunts and lets go of me.

My survival instincts kicking in, I gasp, spin around, and latch onto the edge, my fingers digging into the stone in search of solid purchase while my feet dangle in the air. I look up to see Ri use Hi Jump Kick, sending Dialga staggering back.

I lift myself up with my arms and use the broken parts along the side of Temporal Tower as steps of a ladder. Regaining composure, I lift myself the rest of the way up and leap over to where Ri stands, now on solid ground. "You couldn't have moved a little faster?" I joke.

He shrugs, "Sorry. You find it tough to move right after you've been gouged in the chest."

Dialga shakes his massive head and roars in anger, turning to us. "Bad move…" he hisses out solemnly, a promise of death sealed within those two words. I feel my heart stop for a second, skipping a few beats, and shudder. He begins to charge again.

I get in front of Ri and he looks at me curiously. I lift a hand up in the air, then cross them over, as a whirlwind forms around me. I'm slowly lifted up and Ri backs off, his eyes wide. As I swing my arms out, unleashing Vacuum Wave, the whirlwind ceases and its power slams directly at Dialga. When I land on my feet again, I look over to Ri to find him gaping. "While you've been working with aura on the side," I explain, "I've been practicing some more moves. I was going to show you and surprise you later, but why not now?" Placing a hand on one hip, I add, "Not bad for a human turned Pokemon, huh?"

Dialga begins to lift himself up, shrugging off a bunch of rubble that was created when I used the move. I pull Ri along, "Come on. We need to hide, and fast." He nods, following me behind a pillar that had broken in half, its second rolled against it. We duck in cover behind them in order to make ourselves scarce, catching our breath.

The Temporal Pokemon roars yet again when he doesn't spot us. I risk peering over the fallen pillar half, watching the legendry jerk his head around in search for us. Had he been thinking clearly, I'm certain there wouldn't even be a point in hiding, but the destruction of time in distorting his rationality. "He's insane," I whisper to Ri as I quickly duck back down before we're spotted, who's dug into our bag to yank out the canteen, "Or at least unstable."

He takes a swig from it before passing it to me, "The obvious aside, I take it you've got a plan?"

We both jump, startled as we hear Dialga himself smash apart another pillar some ways away from us. At this rate, our battle will destroy the tower swifter than it could simply collapse on its own, or even with the vortex swirling around above. "We need to take his focus off guarding the dais. You've still got ahold of the Time Gears?" He lifts up the small sack in answer. "Good. Get ready to make a run for it then. I'll get his attention and once his back's turned you need to get the Time Gears in place."

"And let you take him on alone? No way!"

I'm about to bark at him about how there wasn't time to discuss this, but Grovyle's words come back to me and I bite my tongue. In a calm tone, I instead say "I'll be fine. I'll try to keep my distance until you can come and help."

Dialga shouts tauntingly, "Come out, come out, where ever you are…" There's another loud crash and he growls when he sees where not there either, "You can't hide from me forever!"

Getting into a crouch, I move along the side of the pillar, preparing to make myself known. Ri suddenly grabs me by my hand and I turn around to face him, "Just be careful…" he warns me.

"I will," I nod toward another pillar not far from us, before glancing back at Dialga, "When his back is turned, run over there. Getting caught in the same place won't help us… Ok… Now!" With a quick, quiet tread, Ri runs over to the second pillar, tucking and rolling behind it. He gives me a thumbs up- a sign meaning he wasn't spotted- and I nod.

It's show time.

Taking a breath, I stand and step out into the open. Dialga sees me from the edge of his vision and spins around to eye me warily before breaking out an evil grin. "What's this? A little girl is going to face me alone?" he laughs, "Now _this_ truly is something!"

"I may be young," I get into position, making eye contact with him, "And I'm no legendary, but I'm not a coward either. And if you won't stand aside, Dialga, then I _will_ beat you!" I fire off a series of Aura Spheres, each aimed to strike from different angles. He dodges the first two, but the other pair makes it- one hitting his neck and the other pounding against his right side.

I continue the assault, not wanting to leave any opening for him to counterattack. I fire Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere, feeling myself weaken from the ongoing use of pure energy. Only when I see him go down to I stop, hoping, just hoping, that he'll stay down.

He doesn't move and I left out a sigh of relief. _Good. Maybe that'll keep him down for a little while… _I rest my hands on my knees, lowering my head and trying to steady my heart rate.

A harsh chuckle makes me look up in shock, and when I do, I catch a truly terrifying sight. "Good try…" Dialga states as he rises like some undead corpse from its grave, "but it's my turn now." I'm unable to do anything save gasp as he bounds toward me, hitting me with the force of a stampeding herd of Rapidash.

Spinning in the air, I slam into a third pillar, cracking it and falling to the ground in a heap. Shaking with effort, disoriented, I push myself up only to be spun around and smacked back against the pillar. Something similar to the sound of blades unsheathing from their hilts rings my ears and I scream in torment as Dialga uses Dragon Claw over and over, tearing away at my back repeatedly in a frenzy of swipes.

"Lira, no!" Ri shouts worriedly, having two of the five Time Gears already in place. He realizes what he's done all too late.

Dialga turns around in surprise to face him and growls angrily. "You find me foolish, do you?!" he shouts, outraged, as he bats me aside with one slap on his hand to roll across the floor. His eyes glow a bright, bloody red and he roars loud enough to shake the foundations of the tower. The fins on his back grow twice their normal size and the diamond on his chest blinks to life. Opening his jaws wide, a large ball of indigo light forms, before bursting at Ri in one solid, massive beam.

Ri can't avoid it and takes the hit with full force. I hear him cry out before watching as his eyes move toward the back of his head and he flops to the ground limply, his form rolling back down the steps. I scream out in horror, begging him to get back up.

Apparently unsatisfied with this, Dialga starts to stride toward the dais and finish him off. Growling, building up my own rage, I make myself stand, "Don't you walk away from me…" I hiss through gritted teeth, _"Don't you walk away from me!_" I lift my hands and reach out toward him.

Suddenly, Dialga is encased by a shimmering blue light; aura. Mine. I put all my focus and energy into this in order to ensure that he can't harm Ri. It's as if Dialga has frozen in place. He growls and roars at me in hatred, but I keep my mind steady, ignoring the shakiness of my body, the sweat dripping down my skin, and my own sounds of struggle.

"Ri!" I yell at the top of my lungs, my strength zapping away by the seconds, "Ri! Get up! Ri, please! Get up!"

My voice seems to have stirred something in him, and I see his arms drag across the ground as he starts to shakily lift himself up. Blinking tiredly, as if waking from a dream, he eyes widen when he gaze falls upon me holding Dialga back. "Lira! What are you doing?! If you keep this up, you'll lose so much of your own aura, you could end up killing yourself!"

I ignore his cries, just glad that he's ok. "Now's your chance!" I tell him, "Put in the rest of the Time Gears!" When he hesitates, I continue, "Ri, I can't hold him back forever! Go!" He turns and briskly races back up the steps, collecting the fallen Time Gears in the process. I look back at Dialga intensely, glaring at him while he glares at me, screaming obscenities to the sky and longing for our deaths. But something in our plans change.

Ri comes back, lunging on top of Dialga, climbing up his neck and onto his head, and then, with a dramatic spin of the shining staff, uses Bone Rush to strike in swift, fluid swings at the legendary.

After a severe beating, the Temporal Pokemon, at last, falls. Ri jumps off, tripping upon landing. No longer needing to use my aura, I let my hands drop to my sides before falling to my knees and then completing my collapse to the ground, fatigued.

"We… did it…"Ri gasps, his face pale. "I can't believe we just beat Dialga…"

"M…" _Me either…_ I try to say, but it hurts too much to speak. Even that seems strenuous. When Ri comes over to try to help me up, I shoo him away with one hand and manage to get out, "Don't worry about me… Dialga's down; you have to put the Time Gears in place before he regains his strength. Hurry, Ri!"

As if agreeing with me, Temporal Tower shakes once more, but so much worse than any of the previous tremors. The sky is completely lit up by never-ending streaks on lightning. Temporal Tower must be nearing its total collapse. The floor is heaving. The cracks in the ground grow while the pillars around us start to break away. I roll out of the way as one pillars crashes in the spot I had just been lying in. I send Ri a look to urge him forward and, still reluctant to leave my side, he does.

Avoiding flying rocks and stones, he makes it back to the top of the dais. He shows some trouble in getting the Time Gears in place with all the movement, but finally I see all five get pushed in. "They're all set!" he yells down and me, triumph in his tone.

I smile. We've finally done it.

But the tremor only grows more powerful. Ri trips and rolls off of the dais and down the steps back to the floor. The red, flashing patterns change into a brilliant blue; shining with aura. "Wh-why?!" Ri shakes his head frantically in fear, 'I… I put the Time Gears where they're supposed to go! Why won't these tremors stop?! It can't be… We can't be too late to stop the planet's paralysis!"

Lightning strikes down with more force all around us. I see Ri go down and scream for him before I'm blinded by a tremendous white light.

Everything falls direly quiet in an instant.


	36. I Don't Want to Say Goodbye

_((__**Author's Note**__**:**__ Might I recommend playing "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye: EXTENDED" on YouTube for extra effect? I don't know, maybe it's just me, but music adds to everything.))_

The next time I open my eyes, I'm not even sure where I am. The chaos of just seconds ago is replaced by complete stillness. Did we fail? Did time stop?

"Lira…" someone groans, "Hey… Lira…" I look over to see Ri, with much effort, crawl across the ground to me. I decide to meet him halfway and when we reach each other, he begins to ask, "Wh-where…?"

"This is… Temporal Tower." A familiar voice says.

Turning our heads around, we both flinch to see Dialga standing right behind us. He's changed slightly in appearance; rather than a dark blue with streaks or red detailing his form, his flesh is the color of a clear sky with soft, white patterns. To our shock, he only smiles. His voice is still powerful, but rather than terrifying, it's enough to make a person fall to their knees in awe, "You have no cause for alarm. I have regained my reason."

"What?"

"Temporal Tower has taken heavy damage… but it has survived," he bows his head towards us, "Thanks to you two. Now, observe." A crystal-like thing on his chest begins to shine.

Suddenly, I'm no longer staring at the ruins of the tower. I'm standing in a field, surrounded by lush trees. The scent of pine and cedar fills my senses and I feel a gentle breeze tease my hair.

"This… is…" Ri begins slowly, "This… It must be Treeshroud Forest, right, Lira? Dialga must be showing this to us… He must be using his telepathy to do so. But it's not the same! When we were in Treeshroud Forest, time was stopped! Time is… time is moving again!"

Next, we see Treasure Town from a bird's eye point of view. Everyone is cheering happily, then going back to business as usual. Time must've stopped there for a while and then returned. The last thing we see is Temporal Tower itself, although from a distance. "It seems badly damaged…" Ri mutters to himself." I agree; most of it has fallen apart with huge chunks out of the sides. Forget going back the way we came. "But it's still standing! Temporal Tower didn't collapse… It survived!"

Finally, we snap back into reality again and Dialga speaks to us once more, "Yes, Temporal Tower survived the crises. Time has returned to normal here… Thus, time has resumed in places where it had stopped. Because you stopped the ruin of Temporal Tower, the planet's paralysis has been prevented. The world's peace has been restored."

"Really?!" Ri turns to me, ecstatic. If either of us were strong enough to jump, I'd bet he would in his elated state. I'm a little stunned and feel a bit winded due to my wounds when he hugs me tightly, "We did it, Lira! We finally did it! We brought peace to the world!" After a minute, I hide back a sad smile and lean my head against his shoulder, hugging him back.

"Allow me to thank you," Dialga says, grabbing our attention again, "I thank you for reaching the Hidden Land. You had the courage to stand up to me, even as I raged out of control, and you prevented the ruin of Temporal Tower in the nick of time. Thank you. All this, I owe to you.

"But all is not yet as it should be… it will take time. I must see to the repair of Temporal Tower." He gazes down to the jungles below, "The Hidden Land, too, has been ravaged, but the Rainbow Stoneship should still be operable. Lapras should be awaiting your return."

Ri smiles and bows respectively to Dialga. I do the same, "Let's go home, Lira!" he starts to tug me forward, "Back to Treasure Town!"

I might as well play this out. For as long as I can anyway. It's not like I can tell him now, not after this. We just saved the day and he deserves to enjoy that while he can… while we can together. How exactly can one come about that anyway? Hey, Ri, I know we've been friends forever and we just won the biggest victory of our lives here, but I'm about to disappear in, oh, anytime now, so you're going to have to find a new partner and start Team Crusade all over again. K, bye!

Yeah… as if it would be that easy. What exactly can I tell him?

As we walk past him, I see Dialga give me a sidelong glance. He knows. He has to know. After all, he is the Guardian of Time itself. So if he's kept quiet, maybe it's for the best that I do too.

We help each other down the best we can, but it's not easy. Both of us fumble on wobbly legs and we're so tired. Every few minutes or so, we have to stop to rest and even though we nibble on Oran Berries, our strength has yet to come back. In fact, I only feel weaker and weaker the farther along we go. The drops are the worst part, when we have to jump down maybe one or two levels at least, but one of us is typically down there to catch the other. Typically Ri.

When we finally reach the bottom of the tower, my pace has slowed dramatically. I'm too caught up in my own thoughts and my injuries as catching up to me. I can feel it, hear it; my life ticking away like the clicks of a clock.

Ri sees this and turns around on the path down to the Rainbow Stoneship, "What's the matter, Lira? Let's hurry. We need to get back the Guild," he then smiles and nudges me playfully, "I'm sure Chimecho will have some hot Poffins waiting for us when we get back. She knows how much you like them."

I chuckle softly, "She better have a few dozen then in return for saving everyone's skins." Try to pick up some speed and match his pace, but it's difficult. My breathing become a bit labored, despite how I fight to show it. It's just that my body feels so heavy, as if I were bearing a bag full of bricks on my back. It's a struggle to move and my legs feel weighed down, yet I have to pull through for Ri, just a while longer. Just until I came come up with a way to tell him…

A tremor starts up again for a brief moment before quickly settling down, forcing us to stop for a minute. "I guess things are still getting back to normal…" Ri states.

It's too much. With a cry of agony, gritting my teeth, I fall to the ground. Ri screams my name and rushes over to my side to help me up, but even as he tugs at my arms, I can't bear to do anything… except stare at a little yellow light that glistens off of my body and flies into the air, never to be seen again…

I'm too late. My time with Ri ends now.

As the lights begin to appear, slowly, in greater numbers, Ri's eyes widen, "Huh? Lira… Lira, what's going on?! What is this? What's wrong with you?" Then his mouth drops open and he forces me to lay in his lap, placing a hand on my chest as a thought comes to him, "I knew you used up too much of your own aura! Hang on, Lira, just hang on! I can help; I'm going to give you some of my energy and you're going to be ok! Alright?"

I grip his wrist and smile up at him, "Ri, no..."

"I can do this!" he cuts in, "Don't worry! If I do this just right, we'll both be ok."

"Ri, no!" my voice grows firmer. His face starts to blur and I blink away the tears. The rolls down my cheeks and onto him. "…There's nothing you can do for me…" I finally say, "Even if you did use your aura, it wouldn't work…"

His brows twitch and he gazes down at me sadly, "Lira… What are you talking about?"

"I'm so sorry, Ri…" I start to cry even harder, sniffing, "I… I've kept this to myself for a long time, just waiting for the right moment, waiting to figure out just what to say to you, but I couldn't! I couldn't tell you and now… Ri, I have to say goodbye…"

"Goodbye?!" he tears my hand away as I try to rub my face and grips it tightly, "What do you mean? Lira, tell me," he orders lowly. As I think of where to begin, his grip tightens, "Tell. Me."

And so I do. I tell him everything, down to the last detail. He needs to know why I have to leave him. He needs to understand, and when his face contorts into one of guilt, I pull him back and tell him that it's not. That this had to be. That he had to put the Time Gears in place.

"I still don't understand…" he shakes his head, trembling all over. As I grunt in pain again, he holds my head and cradles it against his chest. "Lira, fight it! _Please!_ Just hold on and stay with me. Without you, I…" he goes silent. I feel his own tears drop on my chest.

"Ri…" I whisper. I guess it's true what they say, about your life flashing before your eyes when you die. Although I guess technically, this isn't really death since I never would've even been born to begin with. It all plays backwards in my mind; defeating Dialga and saving time, the kiss, Grovyle leaving, us in the future- both the way he is now and his older self, the crystal necklace, Fogbound Lake, Waterfall Cave, saving Azurill, joining the Guild, and him finding me on that beach at the very beginning of it all, holding me in his arms just like he is now. "Thank you, for everything. The life I've had with you… I wouldn't trade it anything. And I would do everything I could in my power to stay with you, but I can't. But Ri, wherever I go after this, I'm never going to forget you… "

"Lira, I only made it this far because you were with me. Don't you understand?!" he cries out, looking into my eyes. "You made me strong, Lira. You've always been there for me and if you go… I… I don't know… what I would…"

"Didn't I tell you on day one?" I grin at him through the hurt, "You're stronger than you think. You're braver than you think. And now you have to be strong again, that's all. You have to live, you have to go home, and you have to tell everyone about what happened here, so that nothing like this ever happens again," Willing my fatigued muscles, I reach for our pack and take it from my shoulders, setting it aside and pulling out the book Grovyle had given me; my old notebook. "Take it," when he starts to push it away, shaking his head madly, I repeat, "Take it! Please… Ri, you told me it was your dream to go out and have adventures… Well, take this, and fill the empty pages full of them. And you can look back at the old ones, remember our adventures, and know I'm there with you. No matter what… Ok?"

"Lira…" his voice seems to start to fade and echoes in my mind's ear. The lights around us, coming from me, multiply and grow brighter. He nudges his forehead against mine, weeping, "Dang, it Lira! You can't do this! You can't leave!"

"I don't have a choice, Ri…"

"Please…" he falls into a begging, sorrowful whisper, "That time… At the Guild… You… You promised…"

"_Just promise me one thing; that you won't leave, no matter how much I tick you off?"_

"_Promise. We're Team Crusade; we'll stick together no matter what."_

"I did…" I nudge him back in caress, the place a hand against his cheek where he catches it, "but I didn't expect this… Neither of did and there's no way out of it…" I start to fall limp and my vision goes in and out of focus.

"Don't, Lira!" he screams at me, "Don't… Don't go…"

"Thank you for everything, Ri," I repeat, smiling at him, "I'm going to miss the moments that I shared with you, and all the moments we could've shared, but I'm glad we got to train together at the Guild, I'm glad we got to go on adventures together… And I'm glad I got to know you, Ri."

"Wait… Lira…" He holds me tighter. Even I can see myself beginning to fade, as if I was nothing more than a lost, wandering soul.

"I'm sorry…" I say very quietly, "I'm so lucky that you were… that you were my friend…" Do I even dare tell him how maybe I wished for something more though? For the both of us? _No, you've already tried that once and look how that went._

"I feel the same…" he whispers, "To me, Lira, you're… You're more important than anything…"

"Yes… I feel the same way…" I close my eyes. The pain has begun to fade… everything's actually pretty peaceful. I breathe in his scent as I hide my face in his chest, "Ri… Even though I won't be there beside you anymore, and even though I've hurt you now… I pray that you'll keep me in your heart… Right now, my biggest fear is that I wasn't the friend that I should've been for you all this time, or even at some time… And my greatest wish is for the memories we share to be good ones… Ri… these days I've spent with you," I close my eyes, imagining the sunsets, the stars, the mornings where I woke up in his arms… everything we've shared, "Those are the best days I've ever known…"

"Everyday…" he nuzzles me again, "Everyday, since the day we've met, we've always been together… And now I can't imagine a day without you with me. Don't you know that?" He shakes his head slowly, "Lira, we just saved the world and now I find mine falling apart… I need you…"

"No," I croak out softly, "You don't… I've seen all that you can be, I've watched you lead and take command in the most hopeless of situations… and you now have an entire future waiting for you…"

His lips drift on my forehead, lingering there, his breath so warm and comforting, before pecking me gently, "Lira, just please let me try at least. Let… let me try to save you… Because if it can work and you disappear, I'll never forgive myself… Don't let me live with that guilt…"

"And if it doesn't?" I inquire, "Ri, it's not the same and you know it." I use a thumb to wipe away some of his tears, but then my hand falls to my chest and I'm too weak to move it again.

"Lira… Lira… Lira!" Ri's screaming at me, over and over again.

It takes a while before I can regain to will to speak once more, "Yes…"

He wraps his arms around me, lifting me like a baby closer into his hold. I could find no other way to go that could be better than being here in his arms, so loved. "Please… I don't want to say goodbye…"

"Me either…" I whisper, and then a thought comes to me, "Ri… about…" _About that kiss…_

"Lira, if this really is the end for you, for us, you need to know…" His voice has all but gone now, sounding farther and farther away, as if he's not really even there at all, "You need to know that I… I…"

I find myself drifting. And so it ends as it began; drifting in an endless void, falling into darkness. But now I have one, last regret.

I'll never know what he was trying to tell me before I _had_ to say goodbye…

**End of Part I**

_((__**Author's Note**__**:**__ I want to give a big thanks to everyone who's been reading this, especially Sableye-dance-party and TheHuntressofstories who have supported me since the beginning._

_Expect to see a sequel in the future, but until then, I've got a "Beauty and the Beast" story I'm working on with characters from here as well as this fanfiction in Grovyle's POV. Also, if anyone is interested, I'm hoping to make a radio drama of sorts for YouTube on this fanfiction and currently have auditions open for most of the cast. If you'd like to try and participate, you can find me on DeviantArt- I have the same user as on here- and look in my journal to find the link.)) _


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